


Black Sand

by Oishii



Category: Ancient Egyptian Religion
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-09
Updated: 2017-08-10
Packaged: 2018-07-13 22:44:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 25
Words: 144,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7140767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oishii/pseuds/Oishii
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She went through the strokes of life just as a teenager should. She never shared how the sands of Egypt had been at her door, from parents who adored mythology to the mystery of their passing. Yet the sands come blowing through her door once again with a god requesting help to recover what he has lost. As the sands of Egypt sweep Nakia away, she will discover that the old mythologies weren't a myth after all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Syrup Covered Hallucinations

**Prologue**

Perhaps it was the dream I had before my world changed that started all this. I would like to believe that the dream that night was just another of those strange night terrors I would have now and then. But hindsight is unforgiving. It had been so vivid, but the person I was then couldn't see the meaning it held as the person I am now can. It was now, standing on this boat, seeing the one place I wanted to be drift away from my sight, that I admitted to myself that the visions of that night weren't mere coincidence.

In that dream I was walking home from school. In front of me was Andrew Darnell. That day I had watched him be bullied yet again, and like always I hadn't done anything. My friends wouldn't like it. They wouldn't help me if I was bullied in retaliation for standing up for him. He was a wrist-cutting emo, after all. Why should anyone stick their neck out for him?

He was walking down the street, hood up, eyes to the ground, taking a fast pace without running outright. I tried to follow, wanting to give him something; reassurance maybe. But I couldn't reach him. The faster I moved, the further he moved from me until he wasn't visible anymore.

I stopped in my tracks, and by doing so heard a crunching sound from under my foot. I looked to the ground to see white flowers scattered across the road. They were white dahlias; the flowers my mom always had growing around our house. A long shadow of a silhouette overcame the flowers. I looked up, expecting Andrew to be there, when instead I saw the very house of my childhood with white dahlias all around it.

I didn't question why I was suddenly in my nightgown when I ran into my home. It seemed so right then. My mother and father were inside, turning things off and clearing everything out for the night. My dad promised my mother he would fix the grill tomorrow and gave her a kiss. I trotted off with my mother into my bedroom for a story. Not much like a dream but more of a memory, until the lights went off.

Was this part of the dream or was it part of my memories? I lay in bed, trying to fall asleep, but the sound of a pounding heartbeat kept me awake. It was so loud in my ears I thought the sound should shake the house. With one last beat, the sound stopped immediately. I should have been relieved, but a moment after a crash rang from outside my room. I threw my legs out of bed when another sound, now the shattering of glass, followed. My feet treaded across white pedals as I rushed out of my room.

There was a large dog in the living room standing among the broken glass. It was like a fox, with a sandy golden coat, black fur on its back and tail, and bat-like ears. Its auburn eyes stared deeply into mine with intelligence but lacking something human. And below, in its muzzle, was a jackal headed jar that had been in the shattered case.

The white petals were stirred and danced wildly in the air from the speed with which the dog escaped from the house. I chased after him, only thinking about getting back the jar in his mouth that belonged to my parents. Things like running away or the dangerous things that crept in the night didn't cross my mind.

But I never reached the dog. Because _that_ happened. Behind me came a roaring blast that made the night become day. I was thrown to the ground when a wave of scalding hot air hit me in the back. My body was sore and shocked with the only relief from the heat being the damp grass underneath me. The world was silent but for a soft bell that didn't stop it's tune. I pushed myself from the ground as though a puppeteer was directing my movements. I looked behind me and froze as my home and all the white dahlias burned in flames before me.

 

**Chapter 1: Syrup Covered Hallucinations**

There was no way for me to hide the evidence, I thought as I could feel my aunt watching me from behind. My pajamas were uncomfortably sticking to me as I had woken drenched in sweat. My eyes must have been red for them to feel so sore. I was almost glad my aunt was a klutz and had covered the kitchen in flour. I had an excuse to have my back to her so she couldn't see. Except, she wasn't really a klutz. She became this way when my aunt and uncle took me into their care. After her sister died. Maybe I made her spill the flour.

"I could still make pancakes…" my aunt murmured behind me.

"No!" I yelled but then caught myself and made an awkward smile. "No, just let me make them."

"Then I'll clean up the mess," she replied as she grabbed for the broom in my hands.

"There's glass," I protested.

"I'll be careful. Come on, go get pancake mix." She shooed me away and proceeded to smear the flour around the floor. I kept my mind on the task of pancakes.

I had been living with my Aunt Sophie and Uncle Dan for seven years now. I was thankful they took me in. I don't think they ever wanted to have children, yet they accepted me anyway. But it was stressful living here. As I've said, for some reason since I came here my aunt has developed a habit of dropping and breaking things, and trips over air at times. It's whittling away my uncle's patience. There's a tension between them that grows heavier by the day. And it all presses on me because I'm the cause of it.

As I poured batter into a saucepan and flipped pancakes, Aunt Sophia silently cleaned behind me. I didn't know my uncle was in here until I heard him exclaim, "Jesus Christ!" I turned around to see he had walked into the kitchen stepping on the pile of glass and flour. Sophia had made the pile at the kitchen's entrance.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" she cried. My uncle stumbled out of the room and my aunt followed him out. _Keep flipping pancakes_ , I told myself.

There was no evidence of there being glass on the floor when my aunt and uncle returned. I managed to have everything cleaned up and have a huge pile of pancakes on the table ready to eat. I was proud of myself. This wasn't a normal morning routine, because nothing after that nightmare could be normal. My aunt had the crazy idea of making something special for breakfast. In all honesty, it wasn't that bad of an idea, even though I ended up being the one doing everything.

"How's your foot?" I asked my uncle.

"I have a few scratches; nothing deep. It's a good thing I was wearing socks." Without further ado, he tore away at my offering of food. Why can't all people be as easily distracted by food as my uncle? It didn't keep my aunt from stealing glances at me. She looked flushed, probably embarrassed about maiming her husband's foot first thing in the morning. But she had those eyes of understanding that I hated to see. She knew, and all I could do was bare through it.

I had worked up an appetite this morning and was glad to eat something warm and comforting. I downed half a stack, and chugged some milk. I put the glass down ready to eat the rest of my food when I about dropped my fork. My plate was covered in white flower petals. Like my dream, except with more syrup. I squeezed my eyes closed for a second willing the vision away, my heart pounding deep in my chest. I opened my eyes. They were gone.

I should have still been hungry, but I wasn't. My heart wouldn't settle down. _I_ felt like I couldn't settle down. I needed to leave the table, and I wasn't exactly sure why.

"You aren't going to finish?" My aunt asked as I left my spot at the table.

"No, I'm full. And I need to get in the shower." I quickly left the room and headed upstairs.

No amount of hot water could relax the tension. Perhaps I was finally losing it. I had gone past the limit of how many nightmares one person could stand. Now the nightmares were invading my reality making me see things. No, I didn't really believe I was hallucinating. It was probably the glossiness of the syrup that made me think for a second there were flower petals. It made sense, but my heart was still keeping me anxious.

I left the house in record time. I probably beat the all-time record of "student most anxious to get to school" too. I was so early I couldn't enter the building for another fifteen minutes. I went to the gazebo in front of the school like I always did.

There, some of the people in my group had already started to congregate, probably the bus riders. High schools are infamous for their cliques, and mine was no different. My group was the "others" meaning we didn't have anything we shared in common. There wasn't really a group any of us belonged to. We just somehow ended up making our own place. I hung out here, but I didn't feel close to many of them. I wasn't invited to get-togethers that often, and I usually found out about their drama after it was over. But they kept me company during the hours I was forced to spend in these walls. It was enough.

Today it wasn't just us. There was a stranger sitting at the twin trees that grew by the gazebo. I only noticed him because of how he dyed his hair. As interesting of a haircut he had, I assumed I had never seen him because I usually never came to school this early. But I did today, because I was feeling anxious. Which I still felt. Intensely. I couldn't sit down after I greeted my friends. I stood, arms crossed, fingers tapping, pretending I was very engaged in whatever story they were sharing. This was until the one person I felt was more than an acquaintance showed up.

"Oh my god! You look like you're jacked up on coffee!" Molly exclaimed at the sight of me.

"Nope. Syrup, and pancakes."

"Close enough."

Before I could retort, Molly came directly where I sat and got on her knees. I guessed her game and didn't give her time to assume her begging position.

"You can look at my math homework, but I don't think I got them all right."

"That's fine! As long as it's done."

Molly scooted next to me as I rummaged through my bag. This wasn't a favor I would do for anyone but Molly. I personally know Molly is smart enough to do the homework, and it wasn't that she's too lazy to do it. She is a poster ADHD child, but her parents believe ADHD is a myth and never allowed her the medication to help with it. After several phone calls from her crying because she didn't know how to make herself focus, I started helping her out like this. Even now she was being distracted by the others jokes and probably forgotten momentarily she had an incomplete math assignment.

The bell rang signaling the students were allowed in the halls before class. I stood up and dangled my homework in front of Molly's nose. "You can give it back to me before class."

She took the paper while rolling her eyes. "Yeah, that won't be suspicious looking at all."

She had a point. I pulled out my notebook from my bag. I placed it beside her and started backing away with my hands up. "Oh no, I left without my notebook. I hope a good friend could return it for me."

"I'm gonna draw naked men on all your notes."

"Just leave my homework in the second divider when you're done." Chuckling to myself, I turned and left. That boy sitting at the trees was still there, but I didn't stick around to find out what his deal was. I had my own problems on my plate.

I still couldn't drive away the itchy anticipation that was crawling under my skin. I didn't go to the library like I had told Molly. Instead, I was speed walking through the halls, like I could burn the feeling away with some exercise. The warning bell rang, and I had to submit myself to sitting in a desk bored out of my mind.

I wasn't normally a foot tapper, so I couldn't blame the glares I got from my neighboring students for the constant tapping. But if it wasn't my feet, it was clicking my pen, and if it wasn't my pen it was grinding my teeth which made them ache. That was how I spent the first two hours of school. Third hour was better. Gym. I could run on the track and shock my PE teachers by being the only student not walking, but the feeling never went away.

After gym was when things got worse. After all the running, I was worn out and sweating. Not that my nerves were any better for it. I changed my clothes like I was in a race against myself. I was the first one waiting at the door to the hall. Exhausted, I leaned back against the wall and closed my eyes to block the world.

But I couldn't block the world. I could still see.

My eyes snapped open from surprise. Was it an after image? An extremely clear after image? As the sweat from my long run ran down my back my itchy nerves climbed up my spine. I breathed out a long sigh and closed my eyes again. My eyes were closed. I could feel the muscles of my eyelids squeezing together. So why could I still see?

My vision was perfect. I could turn my head and see the PE teacher's office and the ugly tile walls. The only thing that was missing was color. Everything was in black and white, like the world had turned into an old film. I didn't want to keep my eyes closed anymore. I was shaken. I held my arms around myself as I tried to keep my emotions under control.

I didn't know what was happening to me. I was tired of it. I wanted the nerves to go away. I wanted to be able to close my eyes and have my eyes be closed. In that health class they make you take in middle school, they said this was a time when my body would be changing. I don't think they were talking about this.

Students started to pile into the narrow hall, getting as close to the door as they could so they would get out first. I didn't want to be near people right now. I instinctually closed my eyes so I wouldn't have to look at them. Naturally (or unnaturally), that didn't work. I turned away from them from my own frustration. Then I saw something unusual.

A spot of green. The one bit of color in this black and white world seemed to be glowing from a poster hanging on the bulletin board. I snapped my eyes open, as though to get a better view, but the green color disappeared as soon as the world regained its color. I scooted over to the bulletin board as I made sure no one was looking. They were too absorbed in their own business to notice me.

I closed my eyes for a moment again and the green glow returned. I pulled down the poster thinking maybe it had something to do with that, but the glow didn't move. It was as though it was coming from behind the board, or maybe behind the wall.

"Ugh, I didn't know you were into Flightrisk? That band's so gay." It took me a moment to realize the loud prep talking was addressing me. I noticed the poster hanging on the billboard was an ad for their new album, probably put up there by someone from my circle of friends.

I gave her a sarcastic smirk and said, "What can I say? The lead guitarist is hot."

"Freak," she retorted and gave an over-dramatic eye roll. Original remarks weren't her strong suit it seemed. But hey, I did like their music. They only got a bad rap recently because the lead guitarist said some controversial stuff in an interview. I didn't think he was hot really. It was just my way of saying, "Fuck you, I listen to what I want," to the obnoxious prep.

She had distracted me from my problems, but the bell rang and I was herded forward with everyone else. My anxiousness came back. I started to feel claustrophobic within the sea of students moving to class. As soon as I came to an open space, I pulled away for a moment to get some fresh air. I bent over and rubbed my eyes with my fingers, only to have another rude shock. If I held my hands in front of my closed eyes, I could see them. But as soon as I touched my eyes I was able to see past my fingers as though they weren't there.

"What in the world… what is happening to me?" I whispered shakily.

I closed my eyes again. It was there again. That green glow. But it wasn't coming from behind a wall. I could see through the glass doors to the open area that housed our gazebo. It was in there, in the direction of the twin trees. I zigzagged through students to get to the door. As I laid my hand on the door, I stopped myself. I would get in trouble for being out there if I were caught. And even if I wasn't, there wouldn't be enough time to look around. I had math class to go to. I abandoned the door and entered the stream of students once more. I had lunch next hour. I would be back then.

There were very little students in the classroom when I arrived. I must have been walking fast. I rushed into the class already anticipating how agonizing sitting through another class was going to be. Halfway to my desk, I saw someone I didn't expect.

It was that boy I saw this morning sitting by the twin trees. The suspicious boy who showed up on the same day I started having strange things happening to me and was sitting where that bright glow was. In fact, even now he was sitting in Andrew Darnell's seat by the window looking down at that very spot. I was sure I had never seen him before. That was why his hair had struck me as peculiar. I had never seen someone with black hair on top with the bottom half bleached a golden blonde before. Though, seeing him a second time, I had the nagging feeling of déjà vu but brushed it off.

I sat at my seat and watched him. Part of me was hoping staring at him would catch his attention so I could ask him why he showed up to mess up my life. But he kept intently staring outside. His eyes looked dead. It gave me goose bumps to look at him too long.

But then the jocks of Algebra II came into the room billowing with laughter. They were a special kind of annoying. Just yesterday, as part of their usual routine, they ganged up on Andrew and continuously mocked him whenever the teacher wouldn't hear them. I wanted to curse them out in turn. But Molly had locked eyes with me and shook her head with frightened eyes. The number one rule; don't get involved or you'll be next.

And now they were heading to Andrew's seat that was currently being occupied by the boy that shouldn't be here. He must have terrible luck to have chosen the worst possible seat to sit in. Jacob was in the front of the group and wasn't someone who was difficult to spot. Just like dogs, they choose their pack leader by who was the biggest and most intimidating. Jacob stood directly beside Andrew's desk as his coons stood around him.

 _Thunk_. Jacob kicked at the desk. The boy sitting there didn't even blink. _Thunk_! Jacob kicked again yet much harder. It scooted the desk a bit, yet did nothing to get the boy's attention.

"Hey, Emo," Jacob jested as he kicked the desk again. I thought it was strange that Jacob called him an emo like he did with Andrew. The boy wasn't even wearing black but a bright yellow t-shirt.

"I think he's checked out, you know?" One of the surrounding jocks said while circling his finger to say he was crazy.

Jacob knew no restraint. He raised his hand and slapped the boy in the head. It wasn't a terribly violent hit, but it still would have hurt. The boy still acted like he didn't notice them. Watching all this was unsettling. Jacob leaned on the desk and said, "Andy, you better look at me when I'm talking to you, ass wipe."

No, that boy wasn't Andrew. But even as I puzzled over Jacob's words, the boy finally took notice. He barely turned his head. He only turned enough so he could see him from the corner of his eye. His look was empty, like he didn't care about anything that was going on. I suppose Jacob saw that too because he hesitated before saying, "Look at you, trying to act like you're tough. Think you can grow a dick or something?"

The group chuckled, not registering their leader's moment of unease. One of their thugs closest came from the door and gestured to them. They all dissipated, taking cheap shots at the boy as they passed them. Just a few seconds later, Mr. Bagniefski came into the room none the wiser that there had been any bullying here a moment ago. I looked over at the boy who continued to stare out the window, only now his expression was no longer a dead look but had sadness in his eyes.

And then I was hit in the head with a notebook. Molly was standing over me holding to the notebook I "forgot". I took the notebook and said, "Thanks, so how was it?"

"You got two wrong," she replied a little smugly. She eyed the teacher but he was too distracted to notice our conversation.

"Hey, Molly," I whispered to her. "Do you know who that kid is sitting by the window?"

She only glanced for a sheer second before saying unhappily, "Its Andrew."

I shook my head. "That can't be Andrew. He looks nothing like him."

She stole a moment to look over taking longer than a second this time. I hoped for a moment that she would see what I did and agree he wasn't Andrew. But she replied, "He looks the same as he did yesterday. Don't kid around." The bell rang. Her previous frustration melted off her in an instant and she quickly whispered, "Thanks a lot," before heading back to her seat.

I was in a stunned silence. The person behind me had to jab me with the pile of papers several times before I realized we were passing homework forward. The teacher silently took attendance and I wondered if he would mark Andrew absent, but he didn't seem bothered at all that the boy was here despite not being a part of our class. Nothing made sense at all, and I wondered if I would wake up soon or not.

I couldn't tell you what we did in class. The teacher could have ripped off his shirt and danced on the table and I wouldn't have noticed. I spent the class in my head running through the same circle of thoughts. The dream. The boy. Andrew Darnell. The green glow. The more the thoughts blended together, the more it made my head hurt.

He had sat through the class as disinterested with the teacher's lecture as I was. He stared out the window silently. It was twenty minutes in that he finally did something. Like a ghost, he left his seat and walked out the classroom. No one reacted. The teacher didn't stop talking. No one looked over at the sound of the door clicking shut.

I moved to follow him. I must have thought for a moment that I could do the same as him and leave as easily. I couldn't. Everyone looked to me and Mr. Bagniefski said while writing out an equation, "I'm not yet done with the lesson."

"Just going to sharpen my pencil," I said softly.

He looked up and pointed out, "That's a mechanical pencil."

Everyone snickered. I was at a loss, and felt like an utter idiot in front of everyone. I needed to leave, but all I could was sit back in my seat, shame written all over my face.

The teacher continued to go through a problem explaining each step of solving it while I tried to think of steps to solve my own problem. A solution came sliding across the floor and hitting me in the foot. I picked up the number 2 and looked to the other row. Molly made eye contact with for a second before looking down at her notes. I broke the tip of the pencil on the edge of the desk.

This time when the teacher saw me stand, I held up the pencil and said, "My other pencil is out of lead." Mr. Bagniefski continued the lesson trying to pull the students from being distracted by me. At first I thought this would be a good idea as I would be right next to the door. But I forgot how loud those old, metal pencil sharpeners are. Several people looked over at me, mostly looking irritated, at the sound. I prolonged it, pretending to inspect the tip of the pencil, but there was no way I could slip out without anyone noticing.

"Mr. Bagniefski," Molly called out with her hand raised.

"Yes, Molly."

"When are we ever going to use the quadratic formula in our lives?"

Some students laughed, and I stood poking at the tip of my pencil while watching the class from the corner of my eye.

"It's not something you would need, say, when writing your grocery list. But learning these things will have its uses in your future professions. Careers like programming use a lot of mathematical formulas to make those video games you kids love so much…"

"No one programs video games for graphing calculators," a student remarked. Now everyone was laughing and completely engaged in the discussion. No one saw me step out the door.

I went straight downstairs guessing where he would have gone. Sure enough, I reached the glass door to the gazebo and the boy was standing out there. He wasn't alone, though. A man that looked like he was in his mid-twenties was standing in front of the boy using his arm to lean against the tree. They were talking to each other but I couldn't hear what they were saying. I slowly cracked the glass door and their voices reached my ears.

"…chopped it down. But after the school was built, my trees grew again in less than a year. I bet those humans were completely alarmed. But they didn't try it again." The man was smirking as he told his story but the boy showed no interest at all. He just stood there, silent with a blank face, as the seconds grew more awkward. "Man, kid, learn how to take a little interest why don't you."

"You said you had a GVN here that would help me. Where is it, Bitou?" said the boy.

Bitou scoffed and replied, "You're too impatient. You came all this way and you can't even take a moment to listen to a good story." He then smirked and said, "Very well. I can't give it to you. But if you're wondering where it is, she's standing over there."

They both turned and looked straight at me; Bitou with a confident smile and the boy with a confused look on his face.


	2. Dogs and Gods

**Chapter 2: Dogs and Gods**   
  
I stood frozen as the two men stared at me standing stalk still in the door way. I wasn't really sure what they were talking about but I did not want them to notice me so quickly. Luckily, I was spared from having to say anything.   
  
"Oh, I almost forgot!" Bitou suddenly exclaimed pulling the boy's curious face from me. "I have a gift for you. I think you'll like it."   
  
There was a moment of awkward silence. I thought if he had a gift he would be pulling it out now, but he didn't make any such movement. He just grinned at the boy who stared back at him with a thoughtful look.   
  
"Is that so?" the boy inquired. "And it is where?"   
  
"All in good time. You'll have it soon enough, anyway. Well, I've done all I can do. The rest is up to you. I do wish you the best of luck." Bitou gave one last smile and faded into thin air.   
  
It wasn't every day you saw someone disappear like that, so it was understandable for me to be in utter shock at the sight. I didn't notice at first the boy had approached me until his chestnut eyes were directly in front of mine.   
  
"May I ask what your name is?" the boy asked.   
  
I mechanically opened my mouth to answer but then I felt my attention being tugged to the two large trees ahead as though a siren was blaring from over there. I was only several feet away from the spot where the green glow was coming from and now I could think of nothing more than finding its source.   
  
I walked past the boy without a word. When I reached the trees I closed my eyes. It was coming from the ground right in between the two tree trunks. I ran my hand through the grass vigorously but there was nothing hidden there. I then realized that this green glow was larger than it had looked from far away.   
  
I stared at the ground for a moment as I thought about what to do next. It couldn't be buried in the ground could it? It didn't seem likely as the grass and soil didn't look to have been disturbed. But finer details escaped me as my determination had me clawing my hands into the dirt. I was so focused I forgot all about the boy and jumped when he spoke next to me.   
  
"Do you need help with that?"   
  
My eyes tightened into a glare, but otherwise I shook my head and kept digging. My pants were getting dirty and my fingernails were full of soil. After a couple of minutes of toiling, my fingers scraped against something hard. I started digging around the object so I could pull it out. It felt round and long, but it was smooth and hard. For a moment I thought the universe hated me and had sent me a magically glowing beer bottle. I finally managed to dislodge it from its grave and found it was a jar. I pulled it out from the ground. When I saw what it was, I felt as though ice water had been dumped on top of me.   
  
The body of it was an aged, white color. It was rounded but tall. The top of the jar I recognized all too well. The jackal head was black and had a fierce, long snout. It wore a green and gold headdress on its head as most paintings of mummies had. I absentmindedly rubbed the dirt off of it as tears rolled down my face.   
  
I couldn't keep from thinking of all my memories connected to this jar. I remembered my parents enthusiastically describing it to me. Then I thought of the night it had been stolen. Nothing my parents owned survived the fire. Nothing but this jar. And now it was in my hands after six years of it being missing. The boy shuffled next to me.   
  
"So this was Bitou's gift." I saw his hand reach out for the jar and I quickly got up and backed away from him.   
  
"No! You can't have this!" I yelled at him. It was irrational to get so angry. I wanted to blame him for everything that has happened today. I wanted to scream at him to get out of my life. Instead, I clutched the jar to me and ran away from the school.   
  


* * *

  
"Why aren't you in school?" My uncle asked as he came in through the front door.   
  
"I came home early. Aunt Sophie called in for me. What are you doing home?"   
  
"I couldn't stand listening to Barbara talking nonstop next to my office so I'm working from home today. I'll be in my room." He was about to go upstairs when he stopped suddenly. "Why does it smell like pinesol?"   
  
"I… I've been cleaning."   
  
He looked at me suspiciously. When I ran home in my emotional state, I came to realize that this hectic feeling I had been carrying with me this whole day hadn't gone away. I was restless. Without thinking about it, I started cleaning every part of the house, even getting out a ladder to dust the ceiling fans. It helped to have something to focus on.   
  
"You should be staying in your room," My uncle scolded. "Even if you're playing hooky, at least pretend you're sick." And he headed upstairs.   
  
I should have felt guilty, but with all that had occurred today I didn't have the energy to feel concerned. Try as I might, I couldn't keep my mind from wondering back to the jar and how it had appeared so suddenly after all this time. My gut reaction was that it was connected to everything that had occurred today but I couldn't wrap my mind around how that was. The puzzle pieces were scattered, but I couldn't fit them together. There were still pieces to the picture missing.   
  
I glanced at the jar sitting on the table. It never left my sight since coming home. It was a strange sensation that the sight of it made memories flood into my mind. My mother complaining about the fingerprints I was leaving on the glass cabinet that housed it. My father explaining mummification in detail that probably wasn't suitable for my young age. A foxish dog holding it in its muzzle.   
  
The fire.   
  
I picked up the jar from the table when the doorbell rang. I was too overwhelmed to deal with a salesman. Nevertheless, I answered the door to find someone I wasn't expecting.   
  
Standing in the doorway was the boy with the black and copper hair. Anger flared when I saw him. I made to slam the door in his face. He reacted too quickly, though, and managed to slide his foot in the doorway. I wondered if it hurt when the door slammed into his foot. I found I didn't care much if it did.   
  
From the crack in the door an arm holding my backpack shoved itself inside. I had completely forgotten about it. I sharply snatched if from him. His arm dropped out of site. "May I come in?" his voice sounded from the other side.   
  
I hesitated. Although this would be a good chance to get some answers from him, my Uncle Dan would not allow me bringing a friend into my room. Not when I'm "sick".   
  
I leaned forward and spoke in a fast, hushed voice. "You can't come in through the door while my uncle is here. My room is on the top floor. The tree over there is right next to my window. If you can get to it without making any noise, I'll let you in."   
  
I kicked his foot and closed the door quickly wondering if I'd done the right thing. Throwing my backpack over my shoulder, I headed up the stairs.   
  
My uncle popped his head out of his room when I reached the top of the stairs. "Who was that at the door?" he asked.   
  
"Molly brought my homework over," I lied. This seemed to be enough for my uncle. I went into my room. There was a soft knock as soon as I entered and I saw the boy sitting on the tree branch right outside my window. I put my things on my bed and opened the window.   
  
"You climb as fast as a squirrel," I commented. He climbed in with no reply. I stood uncomfortably as the boy stood on my chest under the window observing my room. He stopped when he saw the jar on my bed and I could almost see a light spark in his eyes. He then looked at me with very thoughtful eyes. His eyes had fierceness in them, but I stared right back into his with what I hoped was fierceness too. To break the moment, I said, "We need to talk."   
  
"Yes, we do." He sat on the chest as he said it. I went over to my bed to sit and held the jar in my lap. The boy looked at the jar in my hands before he looked up to address me. "I hadn't meant to scare you earlier."   
  
I snorted. He didn't really react at all to my contemptuous answer. His blank stare was very unsettling.   
  
He took a moment to look at the jar again before continuing. "I came here to ask you for the canopic jar. It's very important to me, you see. I would be grateful if you would let me have it."   
  
I could tell he was picking his words carefully, but I wasn't going to let him flatter me into giving it off. "No, you can't have it."   
  
"Why not?"   
  
"It's not yours."   
  
"Then whose is it?"   
  
I remained silent not wanting to explain it was once my parents and open the conversation into a long story I didn't want to share. It was my business, not his. He leaned back where he sat regarding me.   
  
"Do you know how many of those kind of jars exist? Mortals have been making replicas of these since they started digging them up in the ancient lands. Just about every tourist stand in Egypt sells them. There's a better chance of that being another knock-off than it being your parents."   
  
"I never said it was my parents," I whispered.   
  
He didn't show much reaction. His eyes turned glassy and he cast them to the floor. I was shaken, but I tried not to let it show. Had he made a lucky guess, or did he know more than he should? I didn't want to believe it, but I was leaning towards the latter.   
  
"What can I do to get you to give me the jar?" he asked me.   
  
"You're not very good at this, are you?" I scrutinized. "I'm not giving it to you." I leaned back putting my weight on my arms. I didn't like it. It was so inhuman how I could flat out tell him no and he gave no reaction at all. "Tell me something," I continued. "At school everyone thought you were Andrew Darnell, but you're not. Why is that?"   
  
He scrunched his eyebrows together looking confused. "You don't think I'm Andrew Darnell?"   
  
"Why should I?" I replied slowly. He glanced at me but shook his head looking away. "Just who are you?"   
  
"If I tell you, will give me the jar?"   
  
"I might start considering it, maybe."   
  
That seemed to be enough for him. "My name is Anubis."   
  
"And my name is Cleopatra."   
  
He cocked an eyebrow. "No it isn't."   
  
I hid my face in my hands and groaned. This guy couldn't be serious. "Of course it isn't. It's just… whatever. So, what, is Anubis a gang name or something?"   
  
"No. It's what I go by."   
  
"Then what did your parents name you? Give me that name."   
  
"It doesn't matter. No one calls me that anymore," he responded flatly.   
  
"Fine, fine. Whatever. Then Anubis," I said his name as though it were a slur, "while you were playing around as Andrew's replacement, where is the real Andrew?"   
  
He slumped back against the window with a gloomy look on his face. He then looked me in the eyes and said, "He committed suicide yesterday."   
  
I squeezed my grip on the canopic jar in my lap feeling my pulse pound in the veins of my hand. Andrew had killed himself. It somehow didn't surprise me, sadly, but it still left me feeling horrible. I didn't know him well. I had a feeling he had a rough life at home, and then school was sure to be hell for him too. I saw him leaving school yesterday and thought about talking to him. Why did I stop myself? Could I have done something if I had? Maybe. Maybe not. It wouldn't stop me from feeling quilt over it. I was so thoroughly miserable I forgot about 'Anubis' before he asked, "Are you okay?"   
  
"How do you even know this? Were you involved?"   
  
"No."   
  
"Then why?! Why are you here acting like you're him?"   
  
"Bitou led me here, but he never answered my calls. I needed to stay close, so playing the part of a student was a good opportunity."   
  
"You're exploiting his death," I whispered.   
  
"I made a deal with him."   
  
I regarded him, now wary of the kind of person I had allowed into my room. "So then you helped him kill himself?"   
  
He shook his head. "He was already dead when I first met him."   
  
"That's not even …!" I cut off in exasperation.   
  
"Can I have my jar now?"   
  
I was too upset to say anything else. I could feel he was keeping things from me. Everything he said merely added to the mystery of what was going on. Our conversation was only a dance around the truth at the center of everything. I felt so helpless now I asked in almost a pleading tone, "Why do you want this jar so much?"   
  
"My heart is inside it."   
  
It took a second for the meaning of his words to register. I glared at his impassive figure. "What do you mean? You can't mean that literally."   
  
"I mean my heart was cut into twelve pieces and placed into canopic jars. Yours is one of many others."   
  
Could the person I'm talking to be off his rocker? I suppose normally I wouldn't have a doubt he was. He showed the emotional range of a spoon, he believes he can talk to dead people and live without a heart. I should be escorting him to a mental hospital. But I can see glowing jars and a black and white world when I close my eyes. I wasn't exactly one to judge what is sane and insane.   
  
"Are you a ghost or something?"   
  
He shook his head.   
  
"I don't think you're a zombie either…" What was I entertaining by asking these questions? I wasn't really sure myself why I was considering these things. As I thought, his name struck a chord. I imagined how he would respond to my question. It gave me a sick feeling in my stomach. I asked anyway.   
  
"Are you a god?"   
  
He nodded.   
  
The jar felt warmer than I was. Supposedly it had a severed heart in it. I wasn't sure if I wanted to keep it anymore.   
  
"Are you from Egypt then?"   
  
"Originally, yes."   
  
"Your head looks a bit too human for an Egyptian god." At this point I wasn't putting much thought into what I was saying. The words just spilled out of my mouth.   
  
"We never did use those forms often. It makes us stand out as you can imagine."   
  
"Yeah. Yeah, I guess so…" I couldn't even work myself to feel shocked anymore. So many impossible things had already happened today. At this point I merely felt drained. I hadn't the energy to keep up a conversation so I sat in silence slowly turning the jar in my lap around and around.   
  
"May I ask you something?" the boy finally said.   
  
"What is it?"   
  
"How was it that you knew the jar was buried in the ground?"   
  
I shifted uncomfortably. "I could… see it, somehow. It was glowing, but only when my eyes were closed."   
  
"Hmm, that's why your eyes were closed…" his voice trailed off. "Bitou had said something like that. He called you a GBF."   
  
"GPS," I corrected.   
  
"Yeah, that."   
  
"Who was that guy anyway?"   
  
"Just one of the gods. I can't say I know him too well, but he has a good eye. He's good at finding things. Or people."   
  
"And he somehow knew who I was and that I could find this jar?"   
  
"It would appear so."   
  
I sighed and hid my face in my hands. Even with my hand covering my eyes I could still see Anubis's mono-colored figure sitting across from me. "I'm sorry, I just… How am I supposed to believe any of this?"   
  
He pointed to my lap. "You have the evidence right there."   
  
I looked at him warily and slowly lifted the jar. I held it to my ear to see if I could hear anything. At first I heard nothing. Then I could hear a faint, rhythmic pounding. I almost screamed. I was done holding on to it.   
  
"See," Anubis said as though to make his point.   
  
I thrust the jar at him. "Here. You can have it now."   
  
He took the jar from me. I reluctantly watched him as he pulled the head off the jar. He lifted the bottle to his mouth and drank from it. Some blood trickled from his mouth. It was seeing a black lump of flesh spasm before it entered his mouth that had me running to the bathroom. I threw up everything in my stomach. I suppose this was a long time coming. As much as seeing Anubis drink his own heart had turned my stomach, it was also the trigger that made me believe he was telling me the truth. I had helped a god sneak into my room through my bedroom window.   
  
I heard footsteps behind me. Thinking Anubis followed me, I turned around only to see my uncle at the doorway.   
  
"Oh, I'll use the downstairs bathroom," he stammered. He quickly walked to the stairs and I sighed. I guess now he won't think I'm playing hooky. I stood up and trudged back to my room. I noticed that the anxiousness that had been plaguing me was gone.   
  
Anubis was wiping his mouth off with the back of his hand when I came in. I had a feeling I wouldn't be eating dinner tonight.   
  
"Thank you," Anubis said. He was smiling at me, which was a first. He probably wouldn't be too bad looking if he didn't have that emptiness still lingering in his eyes.   
  
"Yeah…Yeah, sure." I was suddenly more nervous talking to him than I was before. I couldn't possibly imagine how I could have ended up being involved with someone like him. It was absurd. But here he was, though not for long. He got what he wanted. My crazy day was coming to an end, and I was sure he would disappear with it.   
  
Until he asked, "Will I see you at school tomorrow?"   
  
His question stunned me. "Yeah… yeah, I'll be there," I stammered in response.   
  
He gave a small smile. He turned to go out when a thought tugged at my mind I couldn't ignore.   
  
"Wait!" I called out and Anubis turned around.   
  
"How did you know my parents had a jar like that one?"   
  
Anubis looked at me for a moment and then responded, "Because I was the one who stole it from them." He turned back and jumped out the window.


	3. Desks are Powerful Weapons

**Chapter 3: Desks are Powerful Weapons**

I had a restless night. I tossed around, lying on my back to lying on my side to lying on my other side. I kicked the sheets off me then pulled them back on. I got up to get a drink of water. I turned the ceiling fan on. Nothing I did made my body want to sleep. It's hard to get yourself comfortable when you're uncomfortable in your own thoughts.

I had a whole night to think about it. In all honesty, I wish Anubis had taken his jar and left. Those memories; I didn't like having to dig them up. What's more, he had changed them. Somehow there was a different meaning to why my parents had died and I hadn't. It had always been a fluke accident to me for all these years; a random act of nature that no one could control or predict. But I could never explain the dog, until now. Anubis was there. For the jar. Was their death, my survival, something more than the cruelty of coincidence?

No, I couldn't believe that the fire was meant to happen. There was no meaning to it. The grill was faulty, blew up the grill's gas tank, and blew up both the cars. My parents never left their bed. I should have died with them. The only reason I didn't was because I chased after the dog, or the jackal. Something I could never explain, that I could never convince anyone had happened, suddenly became more real than it had ever been. Was my life spared by a god? I wasn't sure if I was ready to accept that.

My alarm went off. I felt like I hadn't been asleep even though I knew I must have. I slapped the power button thinking that he would be there today. He was going to somehow disrupt my life even more than he had yesterday I was sure. I shouldn't keep him waiting.

At least this morning felt more normal than yesterday's had. Sophie didn't bother trying to make anything. We had cereal. Sophie didn't even spill anything. It was amazing.

I didn't think anything about Sophie walking beside me by the sink as I was washing out my bowl. I had a too much on my mind to notice. But in the next moment she was wrapping her arms around me. It surprised me, and it felt a bit awkward. She pulled away smiling but showing she felt a bit awkward as well.

"What's up, Aunt Sophie?" I asked not really knowing what was best to say.

"I feel like I should ask you that," she replied, her intuition as sharp as ever. "It seems like there is something going on, but you don't want to tell me about it, do you?"

I looked down. How could I tell her? She only smiled. "I know. I remember what it was like to be your age. I just wanted you to know that I love you and only want you to be safe." She squeezed my shoulder and walked away.

"Thank you," I called to her. I saw her nod with her back to me and leave the room.

* * *

He was at the same place as yesterday. There were only a couple of people at the gazebo, but Anubis sat alone. He was looking in another direction, his eyes not seeming to be focused on anything. The morning light emphasized the stark color difference in his hair. I could have ignored him and gone to my group of friends instead. But I didn't. I passed them and went to sit by the spot I had dug in the ground the day before.

"Good morning," I said as casually as I could when I walked up to him.

He turned his head away from the point of space he was staring at. Upon seeing me his eyes lit up and he replied, "Morning."

I sat down, resting my back on the opposite tree trunk. He watched me as I settled my backpack on the ground next to me. His expression wasn't the warm one he greeted me with. There was intensity in his stare. I felt a bit self-conscience under his glare but forced myself to look him in the face. Then I noticed that he looked paler, almost clammy, compared to yesterday.

"You look kind of pale," I remarked.

He paused. That distant, blank look had returned. Yes, it still creeped me out.

"Yes, I probably do," was how he responded.

There was silence between us. I didn't know how to fill it. There was so much I could ask him about but I couldn't bring myself to say anything.

"Do you know why I'm here?" Anubis finally asked.

I shook my head. "Not the faintest clue."

He sighed, nodding his head in turn. He pulled on the grass taking a moment to gather his thoughts. "I'm here to request your service."

"My service?"

He nodded. "You are different. You could see where my heart was hidden. I think you can do this for the other pieces of my heart."

"Then you want me to help you find them?" He nodded. "That… I don't even know where I would start…"

"I would help you, of course," he assured.

"That would, you want me to leave then, don't you?" Again, he nodded. "For how long?"

"I have been searching for the canopic jars for a hundred years, yet I've only managed to find four or them, three of them on my own." His eyes darted to me. "With you it'll be faster. How much so I don't know."

I was shaking my head in disbelief. "No. No, I can't just up and leave. I have a life here. Family and friends. If I left, if I disappeared," my heart grew heavy. "… I can't imagine what that would do to them."

His shoulders fell and he looked thoroughly downcast. I could tell he had a lot riding on this, and that I had completely disappointed him.

"Maybe you could find someone else to help you find your heart?" I suggested.

He didn't even bother to look at me. "You don't know how rare someone like you is."

"But, you're a god."

"I'm not omnipotent. If I were, I would have my heart back already."

"I guess you have a point…" I trailed off. It was quiet. Even my friends in the nearby gazebo weren't being a rowdy as usual. I wondered what they thought of me being over here. I wondered what they saw.

"So you're not mad at me?" I asked.

He furrowed his brow, looking uncertain. "I… don't know."

"You don't?" I asked, a bit bewildered. But it made sense in a strange way. He acted so emotionless most of the time. A missing puzzle piece clipped into place. "You're missing your emotions."

He nodded. "Yes. Quite a few of them."

There was a gust of wind that made me shiver. Anubis kept pulling at the grass around him. "Then what do you feel?"

"… sad. Maybe something else. It's kind of faint." He stopped playing with the grass and looked me in the eye. "I had spent a lot of time looking for you. Well, looking for what Bitou promised would make my search quicker. Yesterday I had finally found you yet felt nothing towards it. I couldn't."

He paused for a moment and then continued. "But then you gave me that part of my heart that has allowed me to feel happy again, and I realized I was glad to have met you. I'm glad I found you." He looked down at the ground and said in a quieter voice, "I will be at the school for today as there is still one more thing I need to do. After that I will leave."

He stood up and I stood up with him. "This is it then?"

He nodded. Then he made to walk past me but as he did a finger graced my neck and tugged on the chain of my necklace. The sensation surprised me and I jerked away defensively. He caught my eye and merely gave a faint smile. "I'll send Osiris your regards," he said and left.

It disturbed me. I didn't know how he could tell. My necklace was always under my shirt, but he knew.

When I was younger, probably a year after the fire, I found a replica of the amulet of Osiris on the internet and begged my uncle to order it for me. In all honesty, it wasn't really right for me to wear it. The Egyptians would put this amulet on the dead so they would have a physical form or other in the afterlife. But I didn't care about what sort of magical power it was supposed to have. If there was any god that could connect me with my parents, it was Osiris. He ruled the underworld where my parents should be. I kept this amulet because it was the only thing that made me feel less empty because they were gone.

Did I really believe in the gods back then? I must have to feel so strong about having this amulet. Perhaps that belief dulled over the years as I grew older. Those stories were just that. Stories. I had thought that, until yesterday.

I didn't have the heart to go and hang out with my friends at the gazebo. I sat leaning on one of the trees running my hand around the disturbed earth I had dug into. Someone had filled the hole back in. It was like a grave for what had once been there. I imagined making a grave marker writing 'My Ignorant View of the World. You were gone before I knew it, and only the gods know why."

Molly joined my imaginary burial ceremony. She even looked concerned for me, but I didn't think it was over my mourning.

"G' morning," I said.

"Hey, Cody and Snow said you were over here talking to Andrew Darnell. What's that about?"

So that hadn't stopped. Yesterday it only bewildered me. Today it was thoroughly depressing. Andrew's dead but only I knew that.

I couldn't answer her. I merely mimicked Anubis and started pulling at the grass.

"Do you like him?"

A laugh escaped me at that. "What? You're kidding. I'm not talking to Andrew because I have a crush on him."

"Then why are you hanging out with him all of a sudden?"

"It doesn't matter," I retorted starting to feel agitated.

"Look, I did you a huge favor yesterday -"

"And I'm really grateful you did. I owe you one."

"But you never came back. I was going to take your things to your house if I didn't see you again at school, but Andrew told me he would take care of it. What am I supposed to think when he's visiting you at your house after school?"

I sighed audibly. Anubis wasn't exactly discreet about that. "I get it Molly, but really, I don't want to get into it."

"Fine, but I really don't think you should hang around him. If Jacob catches wind of it, you'll be on his list. Besides, I hear Andrew is into some weird Indian ritual stuff."

It sounded so disgusting. Was this the rumor that helped bring him to suicide? Even if it was true, that didn't mean he deserved this.

"I don't care, Molly!" I snapped. "I can talk to whoever I want to. If you can't handle it, then deal."

"You must love him a lot," she snidely remarked.

"Seriously!" I stood up, all my frustration built up in a heat of anger. "You don't know! You have no idea what you're saying, and you're going to end up regretting it!"

I grabbed my backpack and stormed away. Behind me Molly shouted, "You're the one who's gonna regret it!"

I opened the door into the school. "I already do," I said to myself.

* * *

I had no idea what was keeping Anubis in the school. I saw him between classes walking the path Andrew had taken every day. Other than that, the day felt ordinary. No one asked about me slipping out of class yesterday. No one really noticed me enough to know or care anyway. Would no one notice when Andrew stopped coming to school like they didn't notice Anubis is a different person? Would anyone care? Well, Jacob would. He would be down one punching bag.

If I were tested on anything that was covered in any of my classes today I would get a zero. I couldn't focus on anything. I was still mad at Molly, and thinking about having a god wandering around the school bothered me. It hadn't completely sunk in, either. Anubis, the god of the dead and weigher of hearts, existed and was in my school. It was hard to fit the idea of the god of legend with the boy at a modern day school wearing regular clothes. It was like I had figured they would be fossilized in the era they came from.

Gym was a blur full of me running till my breath came in pants and my side hurt. What I was running from I didn't know. Maybe I was trying to figure out where I was going. Soon enough, it was time for math, my only class with Andrew. Anubis would be there. So would Molly. This was going to be the most uncomfortable class of my life.

Anubis was sitting in the same seat as yesterday, though now he was staring blank face at the white board instead of out the window. I silently sat at my seat. I didn't know what to say to him. I didn't know if I had anything to say to him. He would be gone after today. There was nothing left to talk about.

Jacob and his crew came in. This would be the last day they would pick on "Andrew". Would they feel guilt when they found out he committed suicide or would they just move on to the next weak person they could find? I hated them so much at this moment. I didn't know if I could stand to share the classroom with them for the rest of the semester.

I expected them to go bother Anubis. They should have gone to him. Instead, Jacob sat in the desk in front of me leaning his elbows on my desktop.

"Hello beautiful."

Laughs. His dogs were trained well to know when to laugh even when nothing funny was said. I didn't like that Jacob was bothering me. I looked at my notes pretending I didn't notice them.

"Are you being shy, sweetheart? Come on. Let's be friends."

He was leaning forward, completely in my space. I could smell the cigarette smoke that radiated from his jacket. I didn't look at him, but continued to stare fixedly at my notebook. In a sudden movement, Jacob ripped the notebook off my desk and threw it at the floor. At the same time I heard to screech of a desk sliding against the floor and a scuffle of footsteps. I didn't look to see what they were doing. I glared at where my notebook had been as though it were still there.

"Leave her be." I heard the words to my right and was surprised that they belonged to Anubis.

"Don't be like that, Andy. I'm just making simple conversation with her," Jacob replied.

I glanced over at Anubis. He didn't look angry in the least, but he was tense. I could see he was struggling with something, like he didn't know how to react in these situations. I wondered how much emotion was important to understand what was going on around you.

Jacob took advantage of me looking up at Anubis to grab my attention. He snapped his fingers and I reflexively looked for the source giving him the attention he wanted. "Tell me something, sweetheart. Are you Andrew's girlfriend because you love him, or are you just his fuck buddy?"

I felt like I had fallen out of my chair. The hyenas laughed all around. I looked away from Jacob looking for a certain desk. She was there. When she came into the classroom I didn't know. Molly looked shocked at the scene taking place. We locked eyes and I let my feeling of betrayal show plainly on my face. Her eyes widened and she slowly shook her head.

Molly wouldn't have sold me out to Jacob's crew no matter how angry she was. That meant someone overheard our argument. There were plenty of people in the gazebo who could have heard. The message was clear. They didn't want me dragging Andrew and his problems into their group. They would rather throw me to the wolves.

I was feeling shaky. I had never felt so angry, and I wasn't sure what all my anger was toward. Jacob certainly, but was I mad at my pseudo friends, Anubis, myself…? Jacob didn't like that I was ignoring him. His hand swiftly reached into my backpack and pulled out a small carrying bag. I kept personal things in it, like my wallet, phone, and chapstick. He held it smugly out of my reach. "Do you keep your condoms in here?"

I stood up swiftly. I was barely had control of my anger. Looking down on him, I managed to calmly say, "I'm not putting up with you. Give me back my bag and leave, or I'll tell Mr. Bagniefski you're stealing from me.

He gave a small chuckle. He stood up and took a moment to regard me. "Or I'll tell Mr. Bags that it's mine. It's your word," he pushed my shoulder with a finger, "against mine."

"Fine," I replied shortly. "Then you can explain to the teacher how the tampon in there is for your pussy."

I got some stiff laughs from some of the students in the room. The temperature seemed to drop. Jacob still held his smug smirk but it felt more forced now.

"STOP IT!"

The high pitched scream turned all our heads. Molly was standing, red faced, with her arms tightly held at her sides. She shoved the desks out of the way to stand between us. She grabbed at my arm tugging it. "Come on!" She pulled harder but I resisted.

"I'm not running away."

"Stay out of this, Schleef. Do you really want to make trouble for yourself?" Jacob chided. His glare intimidated her and I felt her grip on my arm loosen.

"You are the one making trouble."

I had forgotten Anubis was here until he spook. Jacob turned his attention to him and scoffed, "When did you grow a pair of balls? You keep your mouth shut!" He said his words while stabbing a finger at him. Jacob's cool was slipping. Looking irritated he muttered toward Andrew, "God, I wish you'd die."

I didn't think. I don't know where my strength came from. I grabbed my desk and lifted up swiftly into the air as though it were made of Styrofoam. I felt some resistance to the weight of the desk but ignored it. With all the strength my arms had, I swung the desk over the top of Jacob's head. He fell backwards as the desk came down onto him. Before I knew it he was sprawled on the ground with the desk on top of him.

His friends swept over to him. The room had seemed muted but the sound slowly came back.

"Oh my God!"

"I can't believe it."

"Is she okay?"

She? I stepped back and my foot hit something. I looked at the ground behind me. Molly was laying there. She fumbled to get her bearings looking only semiconscious. I suddenly realized why I felt some resistance while lifting the desk. The desk had hit Molly too.

I backed away horrified. There was a welt already forming above her right eye. I was shaking terribly. My eyes stung and my throat felt clogged. Students rushed to her. Another student came back with Mr. Bagniefski and a hall monitor. They looked at Molly and Jacob, then at me, the guilty one in the middle of it.

Behind me, I felt a hand on my back and another holding my arm. In my ear I heard Anubis whisper, "Whatever you do, don't look at them."

I quickly complied, no argument in my mind even if I didn't understand his instructions. I heard the two teachers come in, barking orders to stand back. Anubis gently pushed at my back urging me forward. I walked, moving to the front of the class and then around where Jacob was. There was a teacher there, but there was no reaction to my movement. He led me to the door. No one stopped us. I didn't know if they even looked at us as my eyes were glued to the floor.

We left the chaos of the classroom behind.

* * *

I sat on the curb in front of a small, local grocery store two blocks from the school. I had heard ambulances wailing a street away and the sound made my legs go weak. We stopped here while I bent forward with my head between legs.

"Stay here," Anubis said. He left and I sat trying to calm my panted breathing.

All that anger I had before had turned into self-loathing. What was wrong with me? Why had I picked a fight with Jacob? Even if I believed that Jacob pushed Andrew into suicide, anything I did now was too little too late. Everything I did was too late. And now I hurt Molly, who knows how badly, and I was sure to be on my way to expulsion.

My hate for myself reached out for other things to blame myself for. It hadn't just been the incident today. I could have helped Andrew before, but I held myself back. I should have found I way to handle Jacob before. I could have kept Molly out of it and she would be okay. And now I would be expelled. What will that do to my aunt and uncle. I was already burdening them. Now I would become a greater burden on their lives and their marriage.

Anubis sat down next to me. He handed me a cold water bottle dripping in cold sweat. I took it from him and practically chugged it, then coughed as I choked from drinking too quickly.

"Not so fast. Small sips," Anubis said.

I took my time to clear my throat. I stopped coughing, and stared down at the asphalt, the water dripping off the water bottle.

"Have you ever felt like everything is your fault?" I asked. "Like no matter what, you always end up screwing up in the end?"

"I… don't know if I have ever felt that before."

I turned to look at him. He looked a bit confused, but mostly sad. And empty.

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. If I were alone, I would be bawling into pillow. I could feel the sobs in the back of my throat but I held them there. I didn't want to cry in front of Anubis. I wished that I could fade into the pavement.

"Is there anything I can do?" Anubis asked.

I didn't look at him. I merely continued to hold my head in my hands.

"I don't know. Just, talk about something."

"Talk about what?"

"Anything. Umm… tell me about how your heart came to be in jars."

And he did. He said his last memory from having a heart was in 1894. He remembered having to come to this country more than usual. There was a depression that brought up the death rate. He remembered he came to the country to talk to someone. He doesn't remember who. He doesn't remember anything else than that. His next memory was of sitting on the floor with his heart gone.

"Do you know who took your heart then?" I asked.

"I didn't at first. It was a few decades before Nephthys came forward and confessed she did it."

"Who's Nephthys?"

"My mother."

I gaped. I couldn't remember her from the stories my parents told me, so I had no idea what kind of goddess she was.

"Why… why would she do that to her own son?"

"I don't know."

Anubis looked sad staring down at his hands. For a moment, he reminded me of Andrew. The thought tugged at my heart.

Anubis continued. He said when his mother admitted to stealing his heart, he found out his heart had been cut into twelve pieces, placed in canopic jars, and spread across the world. One jar remained with Nephthys, his strongest emotions she had told him, and she would return it when he found the other eleven.

He never searched for them. He could feel nothing without his heart and felt no reason to search for the jars. He said the first jar he found was by accident. The emotion it gave him was desire, and for the first time he wanted to find the other pieces of his heart. Later he found the piece of his heart that allowed him to feel confused. He began to wonder why he had his heart taken and had to go on this long journey to recover the pieces. He never got his answers.

Then there was the heart in the jar my parents owned. That piece gave him his sadness. And then I had given his happiness yesterday.

"I like that emotion," he said. "I like feeling happy, but for some reason I can't bring myself to feel happy right now."

"Emotions are hard to control," I said in an undertone.

I could feel his eyes on me but I didn't look back. "I suppose so," he said.

At this moment, I would give anything to be like Anubis and not feel the horrible guilt that invaded my thoughts. I felt terrible for feelings this way. I deserved to feel terrible after what had happened. But from what I could tell, Anubis didn't deserve to feel emptiness. He hardly seemed like a god, but a boy who was broken. And when he reached his hand out to me for help, I refused. My selfishness had no limit.

"Would you like me to get you something to eat?" he asked.

I shook my head. "I'm not hungry." I stood up and looked in the direction of the school. I could see the street that ran in front of it. There was a police car there.

Anubis was stood up beside me. "Are you ready to go back to the school then?"

"I don't think I'm going back," I said, my mind made up on what I wanted to do. "Could you come to my house again, like yesterday?"

He thought for a second. "I still have one more thing to do at the school. I'll come over when I finish."

"What are you even doing at my school?" I asked.

He shrugged. "A favor. And you left your bag behind again."

* * *

My bedroom was dark except for the light from the window when Anubis came into the room with me. I let him in through the front door this time since no one was home. Anubis was quick to notice the duffel bag nearly full of clothing and other things.

"Packing." It wasn't a question. Yet he still looked at me with interested eyes waiting for an explanation.

"Yeah, well, I changed my mind. I'm going with you."

His expression slackened. His eyes looked like black holes despite their brown color. He seemed to shake himself out of the moment of lapse and took a seat where he sat yesterday. He scratched his head staring intently at my bag.

Finally he said, "I don't think this is right."

"I'm giving you what you want. Why protest?"

"I just… I think you're doing this because of something else. Something to do with today. I don't understand why, it's just…" He sighed deeply running his palm across his eyebrow. "I get the feeling you are running away."

"I'm not running away," I explained. "It's the opposite. I'm doing this because I don't want to run away." My voice started to shake, but I pressed forward. "I can't get out of my mind how different it would be if I had chosen to do something before. Andrew wouldn't have died, Molly would be okay, I wouldn't be expelled - "

"They won't expel you," Anubis interrupted.

"Whatever they decide to do to me! I deserve to be expelled. But I'm done being selfish. I'm not running away. You say I'm the only one who can help you, right? Then that's what I'm going to do. I'm not going to make any more choices I'll hate myself for later."

"Have you considered what you're deciding? It will be dangerous."

"That's fine. I'll be careful." I shook my head. "I really don't get you. It's almost like you're trying to dissuade me."

"I want to be sure you're coming because you want to," Anubis said.

"I do," I replied firmly. He nodded. The room went quite. Anubis stared blankly at the wall in thought. Everything I wanted to take was in my bag so I sat quietly on my bed. I eventually worked up the courage to ask, "Why did you save me?"

Anubis regarded me. "I didn't want you to get in trouble. That would have made things very complicated."

"Not about today. Why did you save me that night you took my parents' canopic jar?"

Anubis frowned. "I didn't know it was going to happen. There are some gods with the ability of foresight, but I am not one of them. I hadn't even realized you followed me until I heard the explosion."

"Then it was just a coincidence?" I whispered.

"There are no coincidences," Anubis replied firmly. "Something greater than both of us was at work. That is why you survived that night."

I stared into my lap. I wasn't sure if I could believe Anubis. What force was greater than a god?

"Do you know what you will do about your family?" Anubis asked.

"I don't think I should stay here for them to come home. They'll probably want to know why I skipped school and I don't think I can lie to them."

"Then how about your name?"

"What about my name?".

"Names hold power. It is common for us to have two names, a true name and a lesser name, as it is dangerous for another god to know your true name. You will have to leave your name behind as well."

"Do you even know my name?" I asked realizing he never asked me about it.

"It is better for me to not know, but you should think of another name to use from now on."

"I don't know…" I muttered. "Anubis is your lesser name, right?"

"No," he replied. I looked puzzled, to which he said, "Anubis is a name the Greeks gave to me. I grew fond of the name, so I use it instead. I don't much like my lesser name, anyhow."

"What's wrong with it?"

"Do you know what lesser name you will use?"

Anubis was deliberately changing the subject, but I didn't object. I honestly didn't have a clue about a new name I could use.

"Could you choose one for me? I don't think I'll come up with anything."

"I'm not good with foreign names."

It felt odd that I hadn't considered him as being foreign to my country. "I don't care if it's Egyptian. Whatever you think suits me best is fine."

He nodded agreeing to my request. I slung my bag over my shoulder. "I'm ready to go. There's just one more place I want to go first."

* * *

It only took twenty minutes to get to Brookside Cemetery by foot. The lot wasn't large. It sat on a corner of an intersection at the edge of a small neighborhood. This area gets little traffic and there aren't any close businesses nearby. I had visited this cemetery many times. Anubis had followed behind me as I led him here, but now he walked past me.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

He didn't respond, navigating around the graves like he was familiar with the place. The air of the cemetery seemed to cling to him. As he walked, the shadows of the gravestones leaned towards him as he passed. Perhaps it was because I was human that I hadn't thought about the power Anubis possessed. In this moment, though, I could feel it all around me. Everything here seemed to center on him.

I caught up to him. He was standing in front of my parent's tombstone. "How did you know?"

"I am the god of cemeteries. I know my own land."

"I thought you were the god of the dead?" I asked.

"I am. I'm also the god of funerals, god of embalming, and god of canines." He shrugged. "They're just titles. It's not really important."

I stepped forward and knelt in front of their gravestone. Both their names were engraved on the same stone side by side. The grass had long ago grown back over the mound they were buried. On some occasions I would talk to them as though they were here with me, and others I would just look on in silence. This was one of those times that I stayed silent. I had nothing to say. I just wanted to be here one more time, knowing it would be a long time before I could come back again. I sat silently for a long time. When I was ready to leave, I whispered, "Goodbye," and went to Anubis.

"I'm ready," I said.

He nodded. "You will be leaving much behind. Do you promise to stay by my side until my heart is whole again?"

"I promise."

He smiled. "Then I give you this name with the hope that you will always stay loyal to me. In return, I promise to keep you and your true name safe." He laid his hand on my shoulder. "From today on, I name you Faithful. I name you Nakia."


	4. Pit Stop in the Duat

**Chapter 4: Pit Stop in the** **_Duat_ **

When we left the cemetery, we continued walking down a street that took us outside of town. I didn't know where we were going, but the more we walked, the farther away we got from civilization. I wondered if that was the point.

"So…" I started, "how are we going to get around?"

"We'll be using a boat."

"But there isn't any water here."

He shook his head. "We don't need water."

It didn't take long for me to see what he meant. The air in front of us began to ripple. It reminded me of how a hot summer's day can make the air twist and turn around things far away. Only there was a cool breeze today, and it was the air close to us that was turning into a waterless stream. In the distance, a black shape was coming towards us, traveling through the air. I could make out the shape as it got closer. The ends of the boat were curved upward making it the shape of a crescent moon. On the side the wood had a painting of the Eye of Horus.

As impressive of an entrance this boat made, it wasn't that large. It was probably larger than a canoe, but not by much. It didn't seem like a comfortable means of travel. A car would at least have cushioning. But who am I to complain when I volunteered for this. My desire to right my past wrongs was much stronger than any qualms about discomfort.

"Does it go fast?" I asked.

"Up to 200 knots. We could probably get to the other side of the country in a day."

"That's… really impressive."

Anubis took my bag from my shoulder. "Come on aboard. I'll show you around."

"That shouldn't take too long," I replied. When Anubis approached the boat, it sunk closer to the ground to make it easier to board. He climbed on and completely vanished. I froze. I wasn't sure if that was supposed to happen or not. Seeing people vanish in thin air was something that would take me a while to get used to. I took a deep breath and swung my leg over into the boat.

The boat didn't look like the same boat I had climbed on once I was onboard. The deck I stood on was spacious. It could be on a large yacht, or maybe a small cruise ship. The architecture wasn't like any boat I had ever seen. It was a blend of old fashioned with modern, having the structure of a modern boat but built with polished wood of different kinds all around. The doors and windows were bordered with colorful textiles. It was bizarre yet beautiful at the same time.

I wondered if we had somehow transported to some other boat somewhere. Looking around, though, our surrounding was still the deserted road we had walked down. Anubis was next to me unfazed by any of this. He stared intently down the deck. In the direction og his gaze came a black and white shape.

"You have a pet dog?"

"He's more of a friend than a pet," Anubis replied.

The dog was a shaggy-haired border collie. He was ecstatic as dogs get. He immediately jumped up to me, barking and trying to lick my face. I hadn't felt how heavy my heart was until this dog's infectious joy lifted that weight. I instantly loved the dog and began scratching behind his ears.

"This is Paws," Anubis said beside me. "Paws, this is Nakia. She will be traveling with us from now on." Paws trotted around us barking at the news.

"How did you two become friends?" I asked.

"Paws was a stray I encountered three years ago. I noticed that he was more intelligent than most dogs I meet, so I decided to employ him."

"Employ him for what?"

"He drives the boat."

Anubis turned to Paws, as though dogs driving boats was normal. "Why don't you take us to another town in the area while I show Nakia around; someplace that isn't east of here." Paws barked and ran back the way he came. I stood as I watched him vanish around the corner.

"Does he really know how to work this boat?"

"Of course. He's a talented navigator. Come on." He walked with my bag still hanging from his shoulder and waved for me to follow him.

"You don't have to show me around right now," I said to him. "Could you just take me to what room I'll be staying in?"

* * *

My room wasn't too lavish which I was thankful for. Walking through the living quarters to get to the floor below I saw enough to know this place looked like those homes you see on the cover of magazines. Except this was a boat, though I suppose this would be my home now.

My room was an ocean teal. It had a queen size bed, a side table with a lamp, a dresser, closet, and connected bathroom. It was rather bare and I left my duffel bag on the floor to mess with latter. I climbed in to the bed and tugged at the sheets until they no longer had that newly-made-bed feel.

The sheets were soft. Egyptian cotton would be a given. They were probably made in Egypt too and not just given that name. It could have been my imagination, but they smelled earthy like sand with a taste of salt water. Even the bed covers were telling me I had been swept away into an ocean.

I wasn't tired, though I feigned it to Anubis. I had just run away from my home without saying anything to my family. There was a note on the kitchen table, but it was blank. While trying to think of something I could say to them I realized it wouldn't matter. I didn't want them to look for me, but they would. I would rather they assume I was dead and move on, but they would hold on to the hope I was alive. Leaving them a message wouldn't change that.

I hoped Molly was okay. I wondered what she would think of my disappearance. I felt a pang of guilt at thinking she would be angry enough to be glad I was gone. I didn't know how strong our friendship was. I felt like an unnecessary distraction in her life that she could easily live without. There wasn't anything that would hold our friendship together after this.

I wasn't tired, just quietly miserable.

I didn't have a good grasp of time. There wasn't a window and I had no clock. I would have to ask Anubis if he could get me one. I stared at the ceiling for a while letting the reality of where I was sink in. I still felt like if I fell asleep I would wake up in my own bedroom.

There was a knock at the door. I got out of the bed and answered the door. Predictably it was Anubis. "Could you come up on deck?"

"Sure."

Anubis didn't reply, but merely left to go back upstairs. I slipped on some shoes and followed after.

It was already dark. I was surprised so much time had already passed. Back at home my aunt and uncle would be worried that I didn't come home. Paws came scrambling to us on deck. I gave the big dog a hug and he generously licked my face.

Looking out I noticed we were by a river. Not in the river, no. That would be to boat-like for our boat. We were floating beside it.

"What are we doing here?" I asked.

"We need to switch boats."

"…Why?" I asked cautiously. It couldn't be because this boat can't float in water or something, could it?

"This boat can't take us into the duat. We'll need one of my boats to do that."

"Um, first, what's the duat? Second, I thought this was your boat."

Anubis walked over to the ledge carrying some cloth bags filled with something I couldn't see. Paws had already leaped off the boat and out of sight. It felt like the fall was too dangerous to jump off from. I was never going to get used to this.

"This boat is my brothers. There is only one boat that is allowed to sail between the Earth and the Duat. All other boats must stay in their respective worlds." He leaned over the ledge, dropping the bags over. He then sat on the ledge with his feet dangling in free air. "Get off the way I do and you'll see the ground before getting off." He leapt off and disappeared.

I did as he said. When I looked down at my feet over the ledge I saw that the ground wasn't far from my feet like it had looked a moment ago. It only took a small hop off the side to land in the moist grass outside. The boat looked like a long canoe again.

"This is too unreal…" I said in an undertone.

Where we were was deserted, but not too far off was a town upstream. A storm of street lights glared and reflected off the river's water. Long bridges were illuminated with red lights and small boats were dabbled here and there in the river.

Paws was with us running down the shore, turning, and running past us in the other direction. He was happy to have the space to run like crazy.

"So what's the duat?" I asked.

"It is the name for our underworld; the land of the dead."

"Is it really okay for me to go there? I'm not dead, you know."

"And yet you wear Osiris' amulet which is only meant for the dead. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't be able to take you at all."

I reflexively felt at the bump under my shirt made by my pendant. It was said to give form to the dead. What would happen to me if I went into the duat without wearing this?

Anubis walked toward the water's edge. He stood for a moment, his eyes focused just over the water. Then he lifted out his hand and a thick fog devoured the river. From the mist, a black boat sailed toward us. It was the same as the boat we were just on, except that it was bare of any decorations and was made of a dark, black wood. And it floated in the water instead of the air. Weird.

Paws bolted into the boat first which made it rock back and forth in the water. Anubis steady it and reached out a hand to me. I took it and he helped me get on. The boat didn't magically change when I entered it. It was like an ordinary boat on the inside than it was on the outside. But this was Anubis' boat while the other one belonged to his brother. I guessed Anubis wasn't the type to invest in such extravagant features as his brother, whoever he was.

When we started drifting forward through the fog, I took a glance behind me and did a double take. I wasn't sure what was behind me. It looked to me like a person made of a thin black veil that was easily transparent. It was holding onto a paddle that was steering the boat. When it turned its head in my direction I quickly whipped my head away. What I saw next quickly erased my mind of the steersman behind me.

The landscape and city nights were gone. We were no longer sailing in a river but through dark sand that was almost black. It did not hinder the boat but glided around us as though it were water. We were surrounded by thousands of doors. They floated up above and all around. They were in every direction. No matter how far I looked, they seemed to continue forever into the darkness. No door was the same. Some were simple doors like I had in my house. Others clearly came from some other century. Some weren't even doors but drapes blocking a doorway.

"We're coming up to the first one," Anubis said. I looked to see what he was talking about. In the sand ahead of us was a large, stone pedestal. On its surface were carvings of hieroglyphs. It widened out on the top to make a large, bare surface. We sailed up against it and were level with its top. Anubis grabbed a water jug and loaf of bread and set it on its top.

Suddenly, all the doors started flying before the pedestal. They were a blur in the sky as they started to collide into each other. I cupped my hand over my ears. The sound was deafening, like an explosion of wood and metal. All the doors gathered until they were all one large doorway. I let go of my ears. There was now only one door. It was very tall but, despite its great size, it was not ornately decorated. It was only a simple wooden door.

The large door slowly cracked open. From inside a stream of thousands of people came walking out onto the dark sand. There was nothing about them to suggest they were dead. They all looked like ordinary people. The only thing remarkable about them was how differently they dressed. Their clothing ranged from different countries and different eras. Yet, even if they looked like they came from prehistoric times, there were no old people. Everyone appeared to be in their prime years other than the occasional child in the crowd. It was their eyes that made them look old. Even the little children's eyes were engraved with a look that spoke of their years.

They all walked toward the pedestal and no one met my eyes. Hundreds of hands grabbed at the bread and water, but even as they would walk away with it in their hands, the food stayed on the pedestal. Our boat started to move forward and left the crowd behind us. We came to what looked like a cave the river of sand flowed into. Guarding the entrance on each side was two sphinxes. They turned their human heads toward our boat as we approached. I tried not to stare but it was hard not to. It was a bizarre sight, and much more real than the simplistic art of Egypt that represented them. Anubis gave them a nod and they turned their gazes away from us. We went into the cave, but it wasn't a cave at all. In fact, we sailed into a place identical to the one we had been in before with doors floating everywhere you looked.

We passed through two more rooms like this and went through the same routine of laying out the food, the doors crashing together into a larger one, and thousands of people coming out, hands stretching out for the offering. The doors became more elaborate, and the pedestal grew more decorated, with the last room having a golden pedestal. It was like everything was divided into different neighborhoods for the poor, middle class, and rich.

After drifting away from the golden pedestal, the path ahead was split apart. There were five doorways, each guarded by its own sphinx. We sailed straight ahead without a pause. Passing the sphinxes, Anubis said quietly, "It's easy to get lost here. Don't wonder anywhere without me."

"Trust me, I wasn't planning on it." Ahead was a magnificent entryway. Flames were blocking our way, but they instantly went out when we approached them. We stopped in front of a large staircase made of the same dark stone the sand we sailed through probably broke off from. Above I could make out large pillars all sumptuously painted with hieroglyphs and patterns. The light from within flickered here and there suggesting the movement of many people that were out of our sight. Anubis, Paws and I climbed out of the boat leaving the barely visible shadow figure inside. Instead of climbing the stairs, Anubis turned to me.

"We're going to go meet someone named Thoth. When you meet him, you need to ask him if he'll lend you his protection. We'll need it for our journey."

"What if he says no?" I asked.

"Oh don't worry," Anubis said with a grin. "He loves mortals." He started up the stairs and I followed suit. At the top we were met by a grand plaza. It was enormous and filled with many gods. At the center, where you would normally expect a water fountain, a giant scale cast a shadow on us. Instead of walls there were numerous hallways lined with doors. I stuck next to Anubis not wanting to get lost.

There were so many gods. Some were standing in groups talking to one another. Others were bustling through in a hurry to get somewhere. Only half of them looked human. The other half had animal heads, ears, or tails. Eyes followed us, well mostly me, as we walked through the large room. I shrunk behind Anubis keeping my eyes to the floor. I jumped when Paws started to bark and run happily away from us.

I looked around Anubis' shoulder. At first I thought Paws was playing with a hairless lion. When they got closer to us, pouncing and snapping at each other cheerily, I noticed that its snout was long and flat like a crocodile and its skin was dark, smooth leather. The creature was the same size as Paws but not nearly as cute. Not in the slightest.

"Come here, Ammit," Anubis called. The creature complied and took pace beside him with Paws running in an excited trot beside her. I couldn't help but smile to myself at how strange of an entourage this was.

"You have quite a few pets," I said. Ammit growled at me but Anubis gave the creature a look that made it stop.

"She's a goddess, but she doesn't like to behave herself so I have to keep my eye on her. Sometimes it does feel like having a pet." Ammit made a sound that almost sounded like a 'Humph'.

We continued along, Anubis guiding us through the corridors. I tried to look around without keeping my eyes locked on anyone for too long. It was too strange, though, that all these gods that I was used to picturing with Egyptian clothes were dressed in modern clothing. Even a god with a falcon head was wearing a navy blue suit. My eyes lingered longer than they probably should have on two goddesses walking towards us in the hall. They were both very beautiful, each of them looking very Egyptian with smooth black hair and wearing elegant, modern dresses. When the taller of the two made eye contact with me, I felt like she was looking straight into me rather than at me. I quickly turned my head away blushing. No sooner had I that ahead of us there was a squeal and a crash.

The source of the noise was a small goddess standing in a pile of fallen boxes. She looked like she could be twelve years old. She had short messy hair that was black but shone green in the light. Her gold eyes looked terrified, embarrassed, and alarmed all at the same time. She started frantically picking up the boxes she had dropped. When Anubis crouched down and picked up one of the boxes for her, she squealed again.

"Ah, A-Anubis, thanks," she stammered. She was looking down, trying to hide her burning cheeks, but couldn't since she kept making quick glances at me. I started to feel very out of place. Anubis didn't seem to find her behavior abnormal. He just smiled and replied, "You're welcome. It's good to see you, Kebechet." He continued down the hallway without stopping for conversation. Kebechet's jaw dropped and she stared at his back with wide eyes as though mushrooms had started growing out of his ears. I hastily followed after Anubis leaving the staring goddess behind.

After many turns Anubis finally stopped in front of a dark, wooden door. I waited but Anubis walked straight into the room. "Shouldn't you knock first?" I asked.

"I gave up knocking centuries ago."

The room looked like an office within a library. All the walls were made of bookshelves completely filled with books. When I looked up to see how tall the shelves were I couldn't see the ceiling. The bookshelves looked to continue on forever. In the center of the room was the most cluttered desk I'd ever seen. There were piles of papers stacked over every surface. They were stacked so high it was a wonder they didn't topple over. Behind the stacks, I was surprised to see a computer amongst the mess. Facing the monitor was a man with neatly cut brown hair. The light of the monitor reflected onto his square glasses. When we came in, he didn't move and continued to stare at his computer. Anubis approached as close as he could to the desk avoiding stacks of books and papers.

"Thoth." The man didn't look up but started typing into the barely visible keyboard. "Thoth!" He continued typing without pause.

"THOTH!"

This time he did look up, saying something in a foreign language. Swearing by the sound of it. He glanced at Anubis for a moment. Then he rested his gaze on me. I tried to pretend that I found my shoes very interesting while he stared curiously at me.

Anubis gestured to me. "Thoth, I would like you to meet Nakia. She will be accompanying me while I'm away."

I glanced up and muttered a short hello. He finally turned his gaze back on Anubis. "Is this about what Bitou told you?" he asked. Thoth's voice held a very poetic sound to it and he spoke very fluently. I had the impression that he could be very persuasive without trying to be.

"Yeah. She can sense my canopic jars," Anubis replied.

A grin slowly crept on Thoth's face as his eyes bore into mine. "Interesting," he said slowly. He made his way around his desk and approached me, navigating the crowded piles in a way only the creator could. He shook my hand with a smile. "It's nice to meet you, young lady."

"It's nice to meet you too," I responded automatically. The moment was brief, as Thoth suddenly pulled away and was so focused on Anubis now, one would think I had vanished in thin air.

"Before I forget, Anubis," Thoth said, "there is a matter that needs your attention. It would be best to go see Osiris now."

"Yeah, I better go see what she wants." As Anubis said this, Ammit started growling at a particularly large stack of books, crouching down as though she would pounce.

"Please take that beast with you. The last thing I need is more ruined books." Thoth heaved a big sigh and crept back to his desk. Ammit switched targets and started growling at Thoth's retreating figure.

"Quiet," Anubis snapped. Ammit stopped growling. "I'll be a moment. Paws, stay here. Come on, Ammit." They both left, Ammit still growling at Thoth but happily trotting off. Paws whimpered at the empty doorway. I could feel for Paws. Being in the duat felt much more real and ominous with Anubis gone.

"Let me guess," Thoth said and I looked to see he was now watching me intently. "Anubis brought you here so you could ask for my protection. Am I right?"

"Um, yeah. He did."

"Of course. I am right 99% of the time." He stood up robustly and paced the small area behind his desk. "Lets see. I believe I kept some in the upper shelves. This will be very interesting."

Before I could ask what was interesting, Thoth disappeared. In his place was a large white bird that very much resembled a stork. The bird flapped its wings and started to fly up the shelves till it was out of sight. Paws circled the floor and barked to the unseen bird. It took me a moment to register that Thoth hadn't disappeared but had turned into the white bird. I stared up the bookshelves with Paws.

In the darkness above, the white bird returned from its depths. Then Thoth was standing before me with his hand out to me. In his palm was the same stone amulet of the bird Thoth had just turned into. "Take this. Hurry and try it on."

I took the pendant and unhooked my necklace. The light of the room glimmered on the amulet already on my chain. Thoth pointed at the necklace that was now safely around my neck. "There you are. Now, do you speak Italian?"

I cocked my head. "No…?"

"How about Japanese? Or maybe Swahili?"

"No, just English," I said shaking my head.

"Wonderful," Thoth proclaimed. "It works perfectly then."

"Because I don't speak Swahili?"

"My pendant, of course. I am the god of wisdom, but I am also the tongue of Ra. There is no language I cannot speak. Don't go taking off, or you won't be able to understand what other people are saying."

I held the pale white stone against my palm. The charm seemed so ordinary in my hand that it was hard to believe I little piece of jewelry could do so much. The silver amulet caught the light again and shined rays of light onto my shirt. "I never asked Osiris for his protection…" I said quietly.

"When it comes to him, you don't need to," Thoth replied. "There aren't many who still believe in our power. I'm sure Osiris is just happy to have some followers left. And you are on a quest to help his son recover his heart. Why wouldn't he lend you his protection?"

"I didn't know Anubis was Osiris' son."

Thoth gave me a smile that was more sad than happy. "You have much to learn," he said.

He started walking back to his desk. I sat on the floor with my back against a chair that was too stacked with books to sit in. Paws came over and settled himself against my leg. Staring at my new pendants, I suddenly felt that I really didn't know anything about this world. Even though I knew stories from what my parents had told me when I was young, it wasn't enough to know everything about the gods or how they live. I didn't even know there were so many gods. I was only familiar with about maybe ten of them, and even then I didn't know anything about them outside of the stories. And here I knew who Osiris was. I knew he was married to Isis and had a son. But I had no idea that Anubis was his son, which wasn't right. Anubis already told me Nephthys is his mother. Then how could Osiris be his father?

Thoth was right. I really needed to learn as much as I could about these gods

"Well," I heard Thoth sigh from behind his desk, "there goes another one."

I looked up and saw him fiddling with the back of his desktop computer that was hard to distinguish from the piles of paper stacked around it. With surprising force, Thoth took his keyboard and flung it across the room. I jumped. It slammed into a wall and strategically fell into a pile of other electronics. I walked over to the desk to see Thoth opening a drawer that had about five more keyboards in it.

"Umm, was there something wrong with it?" I asked him.

"The space bar was sticking," Thoth said simply, now connecting the new keyboard to the desktop.

"You know, you could have taken the keys out and tried to fix it…"

"If a pencil breaks in half, do you glue it together? No, you get a new one."

"But taking apart a keyboard is really simple - "

"The last time I tried to 'fix' one of these contraptions, it ended with a fire, foul smelling smoke and a melted milk jug."

"A melted what?"

"Since then I haven't bothered trying to fix one of these things. Contraptions made by humans are unnecessarily complicated. There's no logic to them."

"It's not that complicated…" I said in a whisper. My uncle worked with computers. He taught me a lot of things about computers to the point I can usually fix any problems that came out without having to ask him. To me, computers are everything but illogical. But I'm a human. He's a god. Our definitions of 'logic' may not be the same.

"There we are," he said with a flourish of fingers across the keyboard.

"Excuse me, but could I ask you something. That is," I said looking at the mountains of papers stacked around him, "if you're not that busy."

"Oh, this," he motioned casually to the piles and piles of papers. I couldn't help but marvel how bored he looked pointing out the papers that would have given me a heart attack. "I have an eternity to finish this. What would you like to know?"

"You said Osiris is Anubis' father, but I remember Osiris being married to Isis."

"Yes, that's true," Thoth nodded.

"And Anubis' mother is Nephthys. How… does that work?"

Thoth scratched at his neck looking lost in thought before say, "Well, you know who Nephthys is married to right?"

"Oh. No, I don't."

"Well, she's married to a god named Set."

"The evil god?" I interjected.

Thoth smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I don't know if evil is the right word, but it is in his nature to stir up trouble. Well, there was a time when Nephthys wished to have a son. Set, however, can never bear a child. Even so, Nephthys was determined and devised a plan. She changed her appearance to look identical to Isis and snuck into Osiris' bed. And her plan worked. By the time her true identity was discovered, she was already pregnant with her son."

"So that's how it happened…" I murmured. "Was Osiris angry?"

"Of course. Many were. It took a while for Osiris to get over his anger enough to recognize Anubis as his son. Isis, however, welcomed Anubis from the beginning as though he were her own son."

"She wasn't angry at all?"

"Perhaps she was, but she knew better than to hold it against Anubis. And if she was ever angry at Nephthys, I never noticed. She's too quick to forgive as always, but that is how Isis is. Anyhow," Thoth leaned against his desk, his serious demeanor completely dissipated, "that's what we know for sure happened. There may be more too it, but that would be entering the realm of speculation and theories."

"I don't need to hear the theories. You've answered my question well enough."

"How about theories over why you can sense Anubis' heart? You wouldn't happen to have any yourself would you?"

I hesitated, uncomfortable with the subject suddenly changing to being about me. "I don't know. It only started two days ago. There's really nothing special about me to explain why I can do this."

"It is most curious indeed. Could you explain how you see them?"

So, I did. I explained the green glow and the restlessness. The more I spoke, the more distant Thoth's eyes grew. When I finished, Thoth stayed silent with a face concentrated in thought. "Do you have any ideas?" I asked interrupting the silence.

"I have many. 68 to be exact. I can't decide on just one until we know more." Thoth gave me an apologetic smile. "This will have to stay a mystery for now. If it is any consolation, I do know that these things don't happen by coincidence. It is destiny that brought you here."

"Right. Well, destiny sure makes some funny choices," I remarked. I carefully leaned against the bookshelf behind me and rested my head looking into the abyss of books above us. "At least Anubis managed to find a couple of jars himself. Eight jars will be better than finding twelve. No, seven jars. Nephthys kept one of his jars."

"Yes, his greatest emotion," Thoth confirmed.

"You're a theory guy. Do you have a theory on what emotion Nephthys kept?"

Thoth nodded with an enthusiastic smile. "But of course. I believe its Anubis' love she is holding and, considering my success rate, there should be no doubt that I'm right."

"His love? I know everyone says love makes the world go round, but the stories I've heard of him didn't make him out to be a romantic."

"The old stories only tell so much. Anubis is very protective and loyal. Those feelings are born from strong feelings of love and trust. If there is any part of Anubis' heart you can define him by, it is that."

"You know him better than I do," I concluded.

"You'll get to know him in time. Anything else you want to ask?"

There really wasn't much else I wanted to ask. I already felt weighed down by the weight of information he had already given me. But I didn't want to wait for Anubis in awkward silence so I asked for something silly. "What is Anubis' lesser name?"

Thoth laughed. "Oh no. I'm not going down that road."

"Come on," I egged on. "Anubis won't tell me so of course I'm dying to know."

"Exactly. If I tell you his lesser name then he'll turn around and tell you my lesser name. No deal."

"You're using a nickname too?"

"No deal," Thoth repeated.

I sighed. "Fine, I guess I have two names I need to find out."

"You are determined aren't you?" Thoth said in a serious voice that was soon ruined by the smile that crept on his face. "That's good. No magic can help you as much as your own strength of will can." After Thoth said this, Paws ran out of the room barking loudly. "He's back." Thoth went to his desk. He rummaged around in the drawers till he found a blank notecard. He wrote on it and handed it to me. At a glance I could tell instructions were written on it. "If you ever need me, go to the closest library and ask for Seshat. She can always get in contact with me."

"If you go to the library and start ripping books, Thoth will come immediately in person."

Anubis was leaning against the doorway. I only saw him a moment when Thoth quickly grabbed a stapler off his desk and lunged it at Anubis. It hit him straight on his head and then clattered onto the floor. Anubis bent over rubbing his head. "Ow!"

"So it was you!" Thoth seemed an extra feet tall in his anger as he shouted. "I will have you know that your brother thought it would be fun to blow up three shelves of books to test this theory! Three shelves! As soon as I show up you know what he does? He laughs in my face! He starts carrying on, saying 'It's true! He really will show up!' And then he flies off leaving me with a mess of destroyed books and alarmed mortals! I can't believe…"

"It wasn't me," Anubis said calmly.

"What?" Thoth exclaimed taken aback.

"I didn't tell him," Anubis continued. "Horus was the one who told me about it."

"Little Horus?" Thoth asked.

"Yeah."

"That child!" Thoth hissed the words as though they were a swear word. "Then who was the one who told him?"

Anubis ruffled his hair still rubbing his head. "I don't know. It may have just been an excuse so you wouldn't know it was his idea. It sounds like something he would do."

"That child!" Thoth hissed again. As Thoth continued mumbling profanities to himself, Anubis made his way to me. "Did you get the amulet." I pulled my necklace from under my shirt as a response. "Good. We should be ready then. Thoth?"

Thoth stopped his muttering and seemed to snap out of his angry state. "Ah, yes. You are leaving I presume."

"We need to get started with our search. Let me know if Kebechet needs my help."

"Don't worry about that. She's been very enthusiastic about her new responsibilities." Thoth walked to us and shook my hand. "It was very nice meeting you, Nakia. You have many hardships ahead of you, but as long as you trust Anubis you should be fine. Also, keep in mind that Anubis' new emotions are strongest when he first receives them." Thoth gave Anubis a grin as though he was remembering a funny memory, but Anubis' face stayed placid. "Be careful of that. Well, be on your way. Tell your brother he will face my wrath when we meet again," Thoth said to Anubis. Anubis cracked a small smile at this remark. "As he usually does."

Suddenly, Thoth's warm face became serious and still as he stared at Anubis. "He smiles…" He quickly maneuvered back to his desk and started opening his drawers. "He finally smiles. We have to commemorate this moment!"

For a second we stood watching Thoth scouring his desk, confused at what he was talking about. There was a second where Thoth found what he was looking for and I saw a digital camera in his hand. Anubis quickly grabbed my wrist and started dragging me out of the room.

"Wait," I heard Thoth's voice calling from behind us. "I just want one picture. It will only take a second!"

His voice faded into silence as Anubis had us almost jogging away from his office. When we got to the wide plaza, he finally slowed down. I thought about asking if he was camera shy, but I just didn't feel like now was an appropriate time to ask.

We made our way down the stairs back to the boat we took here. The shadow figure was waiting where it had been before and I tried not to stare. Paws jumped quickly into the boat, making it rock heavily in the sandy river. Anubis swung one leg into the boat to try and steady it. He held out his hand to me, "Ready to go?"

I nodded and took his hand. We sailed through the river of black sand out of the duat into the real world.


	5. Anubis Swims with Piranhas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From this point on there's going to be a drop in the writing quality for a few chapters. The first four chapters I revised at a later date because I wasn't happy with them, but I didn't do so with chapter 5 and onward. So if you notice a sudden difference that's why, but it will gradually improve as I improved as a writer :)

**Chapter 5: Anubis Swims with Piranhas**

Coming up with a plan on where to travel ended up being more difficult than I thought it would be. Anubis, Paws and I were gathered in the bridge, standing around the large map of the world. Right now the map was only covered in black tacks so that we could see the rest of the countries. Anubis was running a finger from the point we were at on the Mississippi to the west but I shook my head. "We can't stay in America. My aunt and uncle have probably already called the police. They'll be looking for me." I pointed my finger to the east at the islands marked as Ireland and United Kingdom. "Why don't we start here and work our way through Europe?"

It was Anubis' turn to shake his head. "We can't travel east. We can probably risk going south-east, but east and north-east are out of the question."

"Why not?" I was wondering what sort of superstition Anubis had with going east.

"Remember when I told you there is only one god who is angry with me?" I nodded. "His name is Duamutef. He is a god of the east. Since he's mad at me, he will not allow me to travel east easily."

My finger slowly dragged back to where it came from. "What did you do to make him mad?"

"No idea." We continued staring at the map. There weren't many options when excluding a whole coordinal direction. We were already too west to search Canada without having to leave part of it unexplored. Mexico was an option, but even being in a bordering country made me nervous. Could I be spotted there? I wasn't sure. As I looked over the continent, my eyes strayed further south.

"You said south-east is still okay, right?" I asked.

"Yeah. At least Imset still likes me. He won't let Duamutef interfere if we go in his general direction."

"Then why don't we start in South America." I ran my finger in a diagonal line till I reached the most eastern point in Brazil. "We start here and then just travel till we've covered the whole continent." My finger ran an up and down zigzag till it ended in Peru. "How's that sound? Or will we be going too far east to get to Brazil?"

Anubis' finger retraced the path I made. "I think we're far enough north that we should be able to make it there. Did you hear that Paws?"

Woof! Paws rounded to the steering wheel. He started turning the wheel with his mouth, covering it with slobber and adding new bite marks to the wood. It was a four day trip and most of it we would be traveling over the ocean. We made another stop at a grocery store to stock up as much as we could for the trip. Walking through the whole store I kept my head down to keep my face from being captured by the security cameras. We left the store with a cart over heaping with food as well as cooking magazines and puzzle books.

Not only was traveling in a floating boat a new experience, but I also had to adjust to living with no technology to entertain myself with and living with a roommate. It was great to have Paws to play with. The first day of our travel I spent two hours playing with him on the deck. After so many games of catch, tug-a-war, and just chasing each other, I was wiped. Anubis raised his eyebrows at us when we came in both panting for breath. "Looks like I'm going to be replaced as Paws' best friend."

I slept hard that evening. The next morning I stood in the shower for a long time just enjoying the hot steamy water. After the past two days, it had become a lot easier to except the new changes my life had taken. After leaving the duat, I knew there was no way I could live the life I had before. The world I lived in had changed completely. Now my world seemed to be filled with gods I used to fantasize about when I was young. Going to school and having a career was no longer something that I could see myself doing anymore. It was too… human. Even if I am still a human, my life was too wrapped up with the workings of the gods now.

I stepped out of the shower trying to find a towel when I saw a pair of copper eyes. I froze, shocked and embarrassed. Anubis stood up from where he had been searching the cabinets and looked at me with blank eyes.

"Do you need…"

"GET OUT!"

I pushed Anubis by his shoulders. I caught him off guard enough that I was able to push him completely out of the room and slam the door shut. I sank onto the floor with my back to the door. The floor was freezing under my bare skin. My whole body was flushed and shaking, and I didn't know if it was from the steamy shower or my recent encounter. But my thoughts were screaming in my head. What have you gotten yourself into? Not only did I run away from home, but now I'm living with a boy who doesn't know what personal boundaries are!

Outside I heard Paws making a sort of laughing sound at Anubis. "I don't get it," I heard Anubis' muffled voice say to Paws. My embarrassment and anger diminished a little bit. When I thought about it, Anubis probably didn't know how to be embarrassed. It was just one of the many pieces missing in his heart. But even my sympathy couldn't sooth my rapidly pounding heart and flustered mind. Once I felt that my breathing was finally steady, I stood and got myself dressed.

I felt like a thief peaking around the doors and moving slowly through the boat. It was easy to feel like a thief too since I still wasn't used to living in such a beautiful place. My face never lost its redness in the steamy bathroom. Even if it was from the heat, it kept reminding me of the moment before and fueled me desire to avoid Anubis.

No one was in the bottom floor when I came out. I easily sneaked by the bedrooms and started up the stairs. Every creak in the floorboards sent a jolt down my spine. At the top I could hear Paws playing with a squeak toy in the living room. I carefully slipped into the kitchen as silently as a whisper.

It was a great distraction, making breakfast. I had already mastered the use of the fire oven. While I had a skillet heating within it I pulled out bacon and eggs. I was busy whisking away at the eggs when two pairs of eyes came up from under the counter. For no reason at all, my heart started speeding up and the redness colored my face. I buried myself in preparing the eggs. Then a tugging and ripping sound came from beside me. I looked over.

"Unless you're going to help me cook, don't get into the bacon."

"Why are you cooking them? They're fine the way they are." As though to prove his point, Anubis pulls out a slice of raw bacon and tears a piece off it. A rush of disgust and anger overcame me. I quickly snatched the bacon from him.

"Hey! I already have to watch you eat your own organs. Stay out of the raw meat until I've cooked them!"

"They're better without the fire," Anubis replied, but obediently left with a putout Paws trailing behind him. I sighed and continued cooking.

Small moments happened like this through our trip. It was trivial, getting used to living with someone I barely knew, but it helped us know each other. At our breakfast Anubis said that my perfectly cooked bacon tasted burnt. I started cooking Anubis' food at medium rare. I showed him the puzzle books that I had bought. When he complained that the crossword's boxes were too small, I looked over and saw that he had scribbled hieroglyphs in them. I lent him my Sudoku book and did mostly crosswords. There was a wall, though. No matter how much I tried to get along with him, I could never shake off the thought that I couldn't truly know him if he only shows a small fraction of his emotions.

After four days of traveling, we finally made it to land. Our first stop was Natal, Brazil. Coming out of the boat, I felt like I had jumped into a postcard from Cancun. The ocean was vast and blue. The pale beach was covered with tourist in bikinis and trunks. In the distance, skyscrapers rose into the sky. I inhaled the salty air. I had only once been to the ocean, and it wasn't as clear and beautiful as this one. But I still preferred the ocean I went to when I was younger. This one seemed too perfect that made it feel artificial. The ocean I remember had a deep sea green color and the sand was the color of, well, sand. And, most of all, my parents were in those memories. No, this beach couldn't compare.

Behind me, Anubis and Paws were coming out of the boat. I wondered if our boat alarmed anyone, but people kept walking past it as though it weren't there. Apparently it was invisible to them.

"We're just stopping to stock up on the things we need," Anubis said. "We can stay here for a while if you want, but I know some more impressive beaches than this one."

I shook my head, suddenly remembering the agreement I made to visit tourist sites. "I'm not interested in resorts. Beaches are everywhere. I want to see places like stone hinge and the great wall. And, of course, we have to see the pyramids. I bet you have some great stories about those," I said cocking an eyebrow.

Anubis grinned and nodded, but said nothing. We had to be careful walking up the beach and into town. The pools and sidewalks meant we were really at a resort, and we had no bracelets to show we were supposed to be there. Moreover, we had a dog with us and I didn't think people brought their pets with them very often. When I thought we were almost out, a pool boy holding a plate of cocktails stopped us. At first his angry face made me feel sure he was going to bust us. Then his face quickly slackened and he beamed at us. "Would you like a drink?" he asked.

"No thanks," we mumbled in unison. He walked off as soon as he came. "What was that?" I asked Anubis.

He tugged on the chain hanging from his neck. "Ma'at," he replied.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that." I looked down at the charm of a feather hanging from his necklace. "What do you have to do to get one of those?"

"You don't need one," he said simply. When I gave him a confused look, he continued. "You won't need one as long as I have one.” A waited for more but he didn’t elaborate.

When we got into town, the scent of the ocean was invaded by another smell. My stomach growled when I took in the smell of the restaurants we were pacing. They were very simple stands with stools you can walk up to and order without leaving the street. Some of them were flashier for the tourists, but my eye caught the small stands being run by older women who looked like she had generations of family recipes at use.

"How about lunch first?" I asked. Anubis nodded and I directed us to the stall where the old woman was chopping beef into thin slices. Paws started barking when we approached the vendor. I looked over just in time to see him dart down the street. He was barking his head off as he ran, making the other people on the street leap out of his way as he barreled past. I started to go after him, but Anubis' hand stopped me. "Go ahead and order. I'll get him."

With Anubis running after him, I had no choice but to sit and wait for him to come back. The old woman smiled at me when I sat down. "What will you have, Miss?" she asked.

I was struck by how well she spoke English, but I was still distracted by Anubis' disappearance. I didn't even bother to look over the menu. "Just two of your most popular dish, please."

The woman chuckled. "My, you speak Portuguese very well."

I raised my eyebrows. "Sure… I mean, yes. I do. Thank you." I had forgotten all about Thoth's amulet till now. Suddenly it became obvious that everyone here shouldn't all be speaking English even though that's all I heard. The old woman started working busily over a pot full of a savory smelling stew. I sat back on my stool, twisting the seat back and forth.

As I waited, another man came to sit next to me. I saw a flash of blonde hair and knew it wasn't Anubis. Instead of choosing from the many empty seats, he sat in the seat directly next to me. I felt uncomfortable, but tried to act like I wasn't and just stared at an empty spot on the counter. "Well, aren't you pretty," said the man next to me.

I looked over to see who this guy was talking to, only to find him staring directly at me. If the dictionary ever needed a definition for arrogance, they would only have to put a picture of this guy's face in it. He had a smirk that screamed 'I am the greatest person alive and I know it too'. It was enough to make me want to punch him just for smiling like that. It took another second to see the face behind the expression. He was beautiful, which made me dislike him even more. His blue eyes were like ice, so pale that they were almost white. Even his hair was pale and only the sun hinted at it being blonde instead of white.

Whatever face I was making, it only served to broaden his smirk. "What big eyes you have," he said. Normally I would have found the comment flattering if this guy wasn't such a jerk. I acted like I didn't find his compliment impressive and replied, "All the better to see you with."

"Obviously," he replied back with heavy sarcasm in his voice. I was incensed at the nerve of this guy and wanted nothing more than for him to leave.

"If you're trying to pick me up or something, you're doing a horrible job at it," I spat at him.

His laugh was light but had the same effect as nails to a chalkboard. "What made you think I would be interested in you. I only came while following a rumor I heard." He leaned closer to me, as though he knew that I was repulsed just by him sitting next to me. "They say a mortal came into the duat while they were still alive. That's never happened before. I had to see this for myself. And who do I find but a naïve girl who sees too much."

My heart stopped when I took in his words. This person wasn't just an arrogant jerk, but he was a god. My mind froze, and I only stared back at him wide-eyed. Pleased by my reaction, he pressed on. "Did you have fun running around in our underworld? Do you think yourself special because you're the only mortal to visit the duat and live to tell the tale?"

"I never thought that. I only went because Anubis brought me there."

His eyes narrowed at the mention of Anubis' name. "Is that so? How heartless of him," he said with a snear. I don't know what emotion rose into me, but I abruptly stood from my seat and glared hatefully at him.

The man cackled a laugh at my response. "Touchy, touchy. What do you think you're going to do, hmm?"

I slowly sunk back into my seat. He was right, no matter how much I hated to admit it. What could I possibly do against a god? After I was back in my seat, the man leaned over to look around my shoulder. "Speaking of Barker, it looks like the dogs are coming back." He stood and gave an over exaggerated bow. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Nakia." Before I could ask where he found out my name, he was already leaving, holding my gaze until he was swallowed by the crowd.

On cue, Anubis and Paws returned. Paws came trotting with a large, dead bird in his mouth. "Is that a seagull?" I asked.

Anubis nodded. "It had a broken wing and Paws spotted it right away. It was going to die anyway. Now we don't have to feed him."

Paws laid the dead bird at my feet and wagged his tail waiting for my praise. I shook my head. "I'm never going to catch a break," I muttered. With the encounter of the god of arrogance and a warm plate of beef stew and rice in front of me, I didn't pay much mind to the crunching of bird bones from below us. I already felt worn out from today's ventures and couldn't wait to finish our business here and be on our way. But, in the back of my mind I couldn't keep this question out of my head and I didn't know why.

How did that bird break its wing?

* * *

It was a week later that I felt it. My stomach twisted with anxiety. My fingers started to tap rapidly and I couldn't stay sitting. I bolted from my seat and went straight to the deck.

The air outside was humid and wet. We hadn't left Brazil yet. We had to travel in tight zigzags because neither of us knew how much range my GPS has. For the longest time our boat drifted through desert land that was scattered with green plants as though the desert didn't even know how to be a desert. Since yesterday the terrain turned into rainforest. I spent much of the past day observing the large, wild forest, catching sight of tropical birds and monkeys jumping through the trees. For the moment, I couldn't look for those things. I closed my eyes and looked around me till I saw it. There in the distance was a small green glimmer.

I ran to the bridge where Anubis was spending his time with Paws. My sudden nerves made me slam the door open. They both stopped whatever they were doing to stare at me. "I see one," I said as soon as I came in.

Without a word, Anubis jumped up immediately and went straight to the world map. He marked our current location with a blue pin. "Which direction is it?" he asked.

I closed my eyes and looked again. I pointed directly where I saw the faint glow. "I don't know what direction that is, but it's that way." Paws immediately went to work redirecting the boat. The boat drifted into the direction the green light was. Even if it was from the rush of adrenaline, I couldn't help but be excited. It has only been two weeks yet we have a canopic jar in sight. I was relieved too. In the back of my head, I was having doubts that I wouldn't be any help. What if it was a fluke? What would I do if we sailed around the world and I didn't see any jars? It has been my greatest fear. One that I didn't have to worry about anymore.

We had to prepare before we got to the jar's location. I went into my room and changed into light-weight clothes. I was worried about wearing shorts and having my legs exposed. As I pulled on my pants, my uncle's voice spoke from a distant memory. 'Those pants don't look very sturdy. Are sure you want those? You don't have to pick out the cheapest ones.' I suppressed the memories and focused only on tying my boot laces. Those memories weren't helpful right now.

It took five hours to reach the spot, which was both wonderful and agonizing. It was good to know that my GPS or whatever it is has such a wide range. We were traveling faster than we usually did and it still took some time to get there. But the wait! I had that psychotic anxiety that couldn't keep me in one place for two seconds. I paced and paced. Anubis and Paw's eyes followed me, probably questioning my sanity. But the worst part was that there was nothing to do but wait till we got there. I was dying for something to keep me busy. Even filing my teeth on a cheese grader would feel more rewarding than waiting. I'd happily do it if it meant I wouldn't have to endure this.

When the time came and my sensibility had poured slowly out of me like sand in an hourglass, I could see the green glow coming closer. Finally! I tied a bandanna over my eyes to keep them closed.

"We're close," I said.

"Slow down, Paws." From the corner of my eye I could see Anubis appraising me. "Why the blindfold?"

"Just easier to keep my eyes closed." I never looked at Anubis as I spoke, my eyes intent on our goal.

The boat glided closer. As the glowing grew brighter, the monotonous landscape revealed a break ahead. It was as though the rain forest had a scar running through it where the trees didn't grow. Once we were closer, the break revealed a long, wide river running through the forest. I gasped.

"Oh no," I whispered.

"What's wrong?" Anubis asked, no hint of emotion in his tone.

"The jar is in the river."

* * *

"What's the point of having a boat if you don't use it in water?" I grumbled.

We were sailing the Amazon River. When our own perfectly capable boat came to a stop at the riverbed, Anubis disembarked on his insane search for another boat we could sail in. The whole time I tried to make him hear reason that just because our boat is always sailing in the air doesn't mean it can't do the same in water. No matter how much I explained, questioned and, eventually, complained, Anubis didn't say a word. He did find what he wanted. Some ways up the river were wooden boats filled with nets and spears. Before I could throw a new complaint about stealing, Anubis grabbed me around the waist and hoisted me into the boat. As I opened my mouth to retaliate, he had the boat off the banks and sailing down the river.

Any excitement I may have had before was now diminished. Now I was irritated. Even though Anubis' annoying silence was the largest reason for my mood, it wasn't the only thing. The weather here was getting to me. The humidity was so thick I was practically breathing water. My clothes were moist and clung uncomfortably to me. It felt like I had dunked my boots in the river before putting them on. Add to that the sun burning every exposed part of my body and you get one seriously moody, teenage girl.

I was glaring at Anubis with my arms crossed over my chest. I expected him to ignore my question just as he had with all the ones before. He surprised me when he turned around. I don't know why I expected an unemotional face. Maybe it was all the long hours I had seen him stare blankly into space. I couldn't say I was used to it, but it bothered me for reasons other than how creepy it looked. But now he looked, was it excitement? Eagerness? It was familiar yet completely new. It had taken me aback.

The look faded some as he seemed to ponder my question. "It was part of the conditions for borrowing the boat. I can't sail it in water. I'm also not allowed to damage it, cover it in graffiti, re-decorate or rearrange the rooms, store it in one place for a long period of time, or touch anything in the lower deck."

"The other conditions seem somewhat reasonable, but I still don't get what is so wrong with using a boat for what it's made for."

Anubis shrugged, turning his eyes to the rainforest. The boat was gliding through the water with no help from us. Probably another of Anubis' parlor tricks. I kept my eyes on the green glow ahead, ignoring as best I could the strange sensation of seeing with a blindfold on. We were getting closer now. I made my way carefully to the front of the boat doing my best not to trip on any of the nets. I may still have been able to see, but the lack of color made some things harder to make out.

"We need to go right some," I instructed. The boat obeyed. Anubis' eyes were focused in our new direction, trying to see the jar invisible to him.

"Stop," I commanded softly. We came to a halt, the jar directly below us. Now that we were here I could only think one thing.

Now what?

That was when a shirt landed on the bench next to me. I turned around to see Anubis taking his shoes off.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to get the jar."

"You can't just jump in there! I've heard horror stories about this river. The water is infested with parasites that will get inside you and make you ill."

"I'll be fine," he said showing no concern.

"Can't you just do some hocus-pocus to get the jar out?"

"Nope." Without another word he dived straight into the water.

"Be careful…" I muttered. If I was anxious before it was nothing to how I felt now. Maybe it was because I had nothing to do but wait until Anubis came back. Or it could be having to sit still and try not to rock the boat too much. That certainly did take a lot of will power. Despite all that, something about this river made me very uneasy. I couldn't shake off this feeling that someone was watching us from the depths of the shaded forest around us.

It had been about thirty seconds since Anubis jumped in that I saw the jar move. It moved suddenly, as though something jerked it. Then it drifted slowly to a stop, moving farther away from the boat. My heart started racing wildly and I rubbed my hand together till they felt raw. I couldn't see anything happening in the river. The water was too murky. It was unsettling, the silent peace on the boat knowing something bad was happening below me. I focused on the jar as well as keeping myself from jumping in the river. Like I would be of any help.

A sharp gasp escaped me when the boat suddenly tilted to one side. I turned at the splashing behind me. Anubis was pulling himself onto the boat, but he wasn't alone. All over his body were red and grey fish clinging to him by their mouths. It took me a moment to figure out why he was bleeding all over. Even when I saw the teeth in the jaws of the fish it took a second for my mind to make since of it. Then it clicked. They're piranhas.

When Anubis managed to get himself entirely in the boat, he vanished. In his place was a large, deep tan dog with black markings on its ears, back and tail and covered with piranhas. It was the dog of my childhood. The one I chased after. Even when Anubis had said he was the dog I was surprised to see this dog again.

The dog was frantically biting at the piranhas. There was a sound of crunching when his muzzle met with one of the fish. He kept ripping them off, taking large chunks of fur and flesh with it. The piranhas thrown to the floor laid motionless, silent, but the dog kept growling and snarling, yelping when he ripped another jaw out of his skin.

The bottom of the boat was full of mangled fish bodies with blood seeping from their mouths. The dog was frantically pawing at his head now, the last piranha latched onto his long ear. I made my hands unclench and moved closer to the dog. My move jostled the boat. The dog's eyes caught mine and a sharp growl escaped him. I stopped a moment but didn't stop my approach. He wasn't angry. Any hurt animal would react that way.

"Don't you growl at me. I'm gonna get the piranha off your ear."

His eyes focused on me, unmoving and controlled. He laid his head down, whimpering as he did. I tripped on a rope as I climber over the benches to him. I caught myself, and the dog flinched. The jaw of the fish would not budge. Trying to keep his ear in one piece, I tightened my fist around the fish's head trying to break its jaw. With a sickening crack, I felt the fish's grip loosen beneath my hand. I gently pulled the fish off his ear.

"Anubis?" I whispered lightly petting him on his head, the only place not soaked in blood. He didn't respond. He only tucked his leg closer and started licking one of his wounds. I was at a loss at what to do. I didn't know any first aid. And even if I had, how would I treat a god transformed into a jackal? I wanted Anubis here, in human form, so I could ask him what we should do. Sadly, it didn't look like I would be getting that wish granted anytime soon. I had no idea how much of Anubis was still in this dog. He won't be able to help me right now.

I at least decided on one thing. We needed to get back to land. Maybe there was something in our boat that would help.

When I was about to act out on my thoughts, a thud next to my foot stopped me. I looked down, expecting with dread that a piranha was still alive and dangerously too close to my foot. Instead my eyes found a harpoon with a rope trailing behind it. The harpoon wisped away and stopped as it held tightly onto the edge of the boat. Then a wave of them came crashing into the boat, latching onto every inch of the boat's side. Gripping the dog closer to me, I saw three boats in the river across from us. Dark skin, black hair, body paint and fierce eyes were the features they all shared. I gulped as the panic started to set in and my mind screamed

_ we’ve been captured! _


	6. Nakia, the (Self-Titled) Goddess of Darkness

**Chapter 6: Nakia, the (Self-Titled) Goddess of Darkness**

My hands were bound behind me, and my calves were tied together. Two guards, one male and one female, stood at either side of me. Although I was still terrified, I wasn't in full-out panic mode. I realized as they were pulling me onto their boat that I could understand them. With hope I clung to the thought that I could try and explain everything to them. On one side of my head I was praising Thoth for his wonderful, amazing amulet. On the other side I was cursing Anubis. Once he was back to his human form, I had a tirade of I-told-you-so's ready for him. Didn't I tell you not to steal that boat? Didn't I warn you about the river? See where ignoring me got you? But even as I was cursing Anubis to the darkest pits of the duat, I couldn't keep from smiling at him in grim satisfaction. The natives have the weak human bound and guarded. But the real threat, the god of death, was laying to the side with no rope or guards to hold him back.

We came into a make-shift dock much further down the river than we had been. I was yanked into standing and the male guard cut the ropes from my feet. They shoved me out of the boat. I didn't much care how rough they were with me, but when the dog yelped in pain, I was furious.

"Don't hurt him!" I yelled. "Don't touch my friend!"

All the faces of the natives froze. From somewhere in the other boats, I thought I heard a man say, "Where did a white person learn to speak Guaraní?" The man holding the dog looked shocked, but I could tell that he was trying to be gentle with him. I felt a stab of guilt. At least until the dog jumped out of his hold and got on the dock on his own. My eyebrows dropped. He's such a faker.

The oldest of the group, a tall man only showing slight signs of aging, approached us. He was the most lavishly adorned with beads and weaved fabric that only covered the most important areas of his body. He sized me up for a moment; his scowl seemed permanently etched into his face. He finally said, "Why do you steal our boat, girl?"

I made sure to give Anubis a glare before I answered. If only I could change into an animal to escape the blame. "We needed it," I said shortly.

A man behind him burst of angrily, "You think that gives you the right—"

"Quiet," the older man said. The younger one clamped his mouth shut and continued to glare at me. "I don't know which is stranger," he said with a mocking voice, "the strange colored dog or the blindfolded girl."

I first thought, 'Anubis. He's the bigger freak show of the two.' I knew better than to say this. I didn't want them to think that Anubis was a threat. It would be better for them to keep their eyes on me.

"He's only a dog. He's very ordinary compared to me."

"Is that so?" The man casually stepped closer. "And what makes you so extraordinary?"

Your guess is as good as mine. "I'm a goddess." It was all I could do to keep myself from wincing at my lie. It was so horrible. But I needed his attention on me and what better way to divert attention away from a god by making myself a god instead. My panic was really killing my creativity.

His eyebrows drew up. He looked surprised, skeptic, and… he couldn't really look scared could he? "A goddess," he said carefully.

"Yes," I replied more certainly than I felt. My mind jumped to a memory of a god climbing into a bedroom window before I continued. "I am Nakia, the goddess of darkness." Now all the eyes watching me held some fear in them, but I could tell they were skeptic. Even the dog's eyes were skeptically watching me. I shot him a look I hoped said, 'Well, what else am I suppose to do?'

"Then show us if you are a goddess," exclaimed the older man with more force than before.

I took a moment to take in all the warriors. "There are twenty-three among you. Five carry bows, twelve have spears, and six wield swords. I don't need the light to see. Could another mortal do this blindfolded?"

The natives all looked around each other confirming the calculations I had made. The man did not even glance away from me. Either he already knew the numbers of his company or he didn't want to show any sign of wavering. "And how do we know if you can see through the blindfold?"

He hit the weak point of my lie. The blindfold was slightly transparent in the bright light of the rainforest. Normally this wasn't a problem. I only needed something to cover my eyes to keep them closed. Now this fact was betraying me. There would be no way of convincing them that I was keeping my eyes closed while wearing it.

My mind was too sluggishly slow trying to think of a response. But then a multitude of gasps and shouts of astonishment pulled me out of my thoughts. Anubis stood next to me. He was almost the way I always remembered his human form to be, the exception being the blood covering his body and the dog ears poking out of his hair.

"We are both gods," he proclaimed with a strong voice I've never heard him use. All the natives now looked convinced. His voice even convinced me that I was a goddess. I had to mentally slap myself. 'Keep your head in the game,' I thought to myself.

"You were supposed to be a dog," I whispered just loud enough for the others to overhear.

"It looked like you needed help," he said in a whisper I could barely hear.

"Please excuse our rudeness," said the converted old man. "We did not know."

"You do not need to apologize," Anubis replied, and there seemed to be a collective sigh of relief as though they had all been holding their breath till now. "You were right to be angry. We stole your boat and for that I apologize. I can promise you we had no intent of keeping it. We were in need at the time."

"Thank you for your understanding. Please allow us to make amends for this misunderstanding by coming with us to our village. We can treat your wounds and provide any accommodations that you need."

"Thank you for the offer. We would be glad to go with you," Anubis said with a warm smile. For once I was glad he ignored checking for my opinion before accepting. The conversation turned way too formal for me and we could do without me offending them again.

As the group prepared their belongings to take to their village, a young man approached me hesitantly. His eyes still held fear from Anubis' grand transformation. I quickly recognized him as the one who had shouted out earlier without their leader's permission. Understanding came to me and I felt bad that he was afraid I may be angry for his shouting. "M-m-may I unbind your hands?" he asked putting an effort to be calm but failing.

"Yes, please do." I turned around and allowed him to cut the rope around my wrists. My hands were free. I rubbed the rope burn around my wrists grateful. "Thank you," I said, my voice thick with gratitude. His fear eased, but didn't keep him from slinking cautiously away.

The village was about a mile into the forest. Even though the path there had been worn with use, I was still having trouble keeping myself from tripping over roots and rocks as I struggled to see them. Anubis always predicted when I was going to trip. He would grab my arm to steady me a second before my foot caught on something that would trip me. What he couldn't protect me from, though, was the panic of moving away from the canopic jar. I wanted to turn and run back to the river. I would take my chances with the piranhas. Every instinct in me was screaming, 'YOU'RE GOING THE WRONG WAY!' I forced my feet to keep moving forward ignoring how much it tore me up inside.

We came to an opening in the forest. It had houses built with coarsely chopped wood and straw roofs. Some had smoke rising from them. It was like something out of a National Geographic magazine. Everything was made with methods used for thousands of years. I knew it would be primitive, but I didn't anticipate how tranquil the atmosphere would be. You could hear the songbirds constantly singing in the trees. The light above that passed through the leaves made everything have a faint glow. I wanted to take off my blindfold to see it all in full color but I fought the urge.

Anubis on the other hand didn't show any interest in the scene before us. The arm he had been licking as a dog he was now gnawing on. I elbowed him. "Stop chewing your arm."

"It itches," he replied. Rolling my eyes no one could see, we followed the leader, who had introduced himself as Carios earlier. He took us to the chief's home, which was only slightly larger than the other homes. He was an elderly man covered in jewelry and no stranger to piercings. Carios explained who we were and if the chief was surprised he didn't show it. "We welcome you to our home, Great Ones. If there is anything you need, please don't wait to ask."

"Thank you," we said in unison. We were shortly taken to a vacant house on the outskirts of the village. Before we could go inside, a petit, young woman came bouncing to us. "Hello! My name's Itati. I'm a healer and I've come to—" She was cut off when Anubis spun around and started walking the other way. I quickly grabbed his shoulder. "Let the girl treat you. You're covered in blood."

"I'll live," he muffled through his bloody arm, his mouth still pressed firmly to it.

"We're guests here and you're being rude."

He growled, more like a dirty mutt than a fierce jackal in my opinion. Luckily, I changed his mind and he reluctantly came back. The healer gasped when she saw him chewing his arm. "My lord, you should not be biting your wounds!"

"It itches," he said. She took him away. While Anubis was gone, I received the royal treatment. They offered me a bath in cool water, which felt amazing in this heat. I was very happy to wash off all the sweat from the heat. They then dressed me in their own clothing that, thankfully, covered me completely unlike many of the clothing worn by other women here. As one woman combed my hair, another held out a bare piranha skull and asked if I would like my hair trimmed. I quickly refused.

I was escorted back to the chief's home where a large feast was laid out. There were many tropical fruits, vegetables, fish, and other meat dishes I didn't recognize. I did recognize the piranhas that had attacked Anubis grilled inside a large leaf. Serves them right, I thought.

Anubis came in covered in bandages, dog ears still sticking out of his hair, and no sign of emotion on his face. We sat next to each other, but I never said a word to him sensing he was unreachable right now. No one ate until we did. Every time my plate started to empty someone would fill it with more food. Midway through the meal, Anubis snapped out of his vacancy and started a conversation with the chief.

"The food is very delicious," he said. "Do you fish in the river every day?"

"When the weather permits us. Some days our warriors are able to catch a crocodile like the one we have here." He gestured to one of the plates I had just picked from. I swallowed the meat down with much effort. After a moment, I continued biting into it deciding that a crocodile isn't that bad.

"Your warriors are very impressive," Anubis continued. "I would like to borrow their skills if you would allow me to."

The chiefs smile didn't fade but I could see his eyes harden. "What do you need their talents for?"

"There is a possession of mine in the bottom of the river. We tried to retrieve it today but my way was blocked." That's a nice way to put being nearly eaten to death by fish. "Your warriors would probably be better equipped to recover it than we would."

"It would be our honor to help you, although it may be difficult to find if we do not know where to look."

Anubis pointed his thumb at me. "Nakia will be able to guide them to the right spot." Anubis crossed his arms and looked at me with a slight grin. "She sees in ways we do not."

I wasn't sure if he was poking fun at me or was being honest, but I ignored him. The chief vehemently agreed not seeing any double meaning in his words. At the end of our dinner I was full and very tired. Not in the sleepy way but just tired of all the special treatment. I just wanted to get to the place we would be sleeping and have some time alone. Outside there were less people out which meant less eyes to stare at us. Even though the world was in grayscale, I could tell by the dimming glow that the sun was setting. More houses had smoke rising from them. I was glad that when we reached our home for the night that our entourage let us be. I happily stretched out on a small cot and listened to the songs the night created.

I wanted to close my eyes to block out the world so badly. Even though my blindfold was still secured over my eyes I wasn't blind to anything at all. With dread it dawned on me that I probably wouldn't get any sleep tonight. What with the anxiety disorder and seeing with or without my eyes closed, I didn't even know how to sleep this way.

I sat up, my earlier relief gone, to notice Anubis sitting on his cot watching me. "What?" I asked defensively.

Anubis looked away, tracing the pattern on his blanket. "You shouldn't go around telling people we're gods, especially since I am one."

"I had to do something," I said coldly. "It's not like I had many options."

"Its okay this time, I suppose," he remarked, his eyes still trained on his blanket. "They seem more excepting to the existence of gods than most people."

"Thank God, too. Or I guess it's 'Thank the gods'. I don't know what we would do if they caught that lie." I rolled my eyes at myself. Maybe it would have been better to tell the truth, at least for me. I hate lying as it is.

"Yeah, it's a good thing you're such a smooth liar," I snorted. Anubis raised his eyebrows and finally lifted his gaze. "What?" he asked.

"You've got to be kidding," I said with a laugh in my voice. "I'm about as good of a liar as I am a goddess."

"Really?" he asked, skepticism written in his face. I really didn't think I'd have to explain. Didn't he see my poor attempts at lying earlier?

"Of course. Most of the time my aunt and uncle catch my lies. The only people who buy into me are gullible." Even though I spoke the truth, I regretted my words as soon as I said them. Who was the rude one now, insulting the very people who had been so kind to us? Anubis never replied but instead went back to playing with his sheet. After a couple of minutes of silence, I was at the end of waiting. "You can go ahead and say what you're thinking. I know I'm horrible."

Without lifting his eyes he replied, "I wasn't thinking that. I was just wondering why you only lie to those who know you best."

He stopped me short, and I realized that he was right. The only ones I've ever had reason to lie to were my aunt and uncle. And how could I have not lied to them when I knew I would just worry them. They always asked if I was okay, but I never was. What else could I have done?

My silent anguish turned into panic when the world turned black. My wish had finally come true, only that the green glow of the canopic jar went out with it. All my earlier fears came back to me. It was a fluke. It's gone! I won't be able to find the jars anymore! I couldn't see him, but Anubis must have noticed my new panic. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"I can't see! The jar, the room; it disappeared!" I pulled the blankets under me into my clutched fists. I didn't realize they were shaking till two hands held mine steady.

"Calm down," Anubis' voice said close to me. I did my best to comply. "Take off your blindfold," he softly ordered. I grabbed at the knot but my fingers struggled to undo it. Anubis' hands quickly replaced mine. The blindfold was soon off me. The world was in color, just as it should be. But it was more than that. Though it was night, the room was bright and crisp as though there were daylight. And over Anubis' shoulder, where it had been before, was the green glow.

I let out a sigh of relief. "I can see it again. That's so weird. I wonder why it changed all of a sudden."

Anubis walked away from me and to a window. He pulled away the cloth that had given us privacy. I could see the whole forest clearly, even the bits of the moon visible through the foliage. The strangest thing happened when Anubis' gaze met the moon. His deep chestnut eyes would turn silver every time he looked in its light. I thought it was the glow of the moon, but it looked so unnatural that it really did look like his eyes were changing color.

He sat down next to me on my cot. He never looked at me while he spoke. "Your power must come from the moon."

"How so?"

"It's why you must close your eyes during the day. The sun interferes with your sight. By closing your eyes you're blocking it out." I didn't know what to think of this. While I let the new information sink in, Anubis played with his bandages. When the slightly bloody cloth dropped to the ground next to me I realized with horror he wasn't playing with them. He was taking them off.

"What are you doing?"

"It's fine. Moonlight heals me." Sure enough, under his bandages was smooth skin. There wasn't even a scar where his flesh had been gaping open.

"Pretty cool trick. Any reason why the moon can do that?"

Anubis shrugged, still not looking at me. "The moon is the sun of the duat. I draw power from it being a god of the duat."

"You too, huh…" I stared at the glow no one else could see. "What does that make me then?"

"I don't know," he said taking a moment to look at me. I glanced over at him and had to stifle a laugh. "By the way, nice ears," I said. I had almost forgotten about the dog ears he somehow kept after he changed back. Now that the world was in color again, the sandy fur of his ears stood out against his black hair.

In response, Anubis ruffled his hair. "I thought it would look ominous. I could have kept my whole head as a canine but that usually terrifies people."

"Yeah, please don't. The ears are enough. Happen to be hiding a tail too?" I asked while leaning over to peak.

Anubis didn't move at all at my investigation. "If I did I wouldn't show you. I'm glad I managed to change, though. For a moment there I thought my magic was sealed."

I cocked my head. "Sealed? Like sealing the lid on a pickle jar?"

His eyebrows dropped. "I guess you can compare it to that. I panicked when I couldn't use my magic. And then the fish came."

Now I was trying really hard to stifle a laugh. "I told you so—," I sung teasingly.

Anubis managed a grin. "You don't think I couldn't handle a couple of fish under normal circumstances?"

"I wouldn't blame you if you couldn't. Those things are freaky. I woman wanted to cut my hair with its teeth earlier." I shivered at having that skull anywhere near my hair. "Anyway, do you have any idea why your pickles were sealed shut?"

"A god is probably protecting the river. Normally I would ask if there is anyone these people worship, but since they know I'm a god it's harder to ask. They assume we're all knowing."

"I can ask," I offered.

"Aren't you the goddess of darkness, Nakia?"

"Oh… right…"

He smirked slightly. "It may not matter. We'll have the warrior's help tomorrow. Get some sleep. We'll need your eyes well and rested."

"I'll try," I mumbled. Even with the thought of another god at work here, I wasn't concerned. Like Anubis said, we'll be fishing with the warriors, so he won't have to get the jar himself. Despite my earlier worries, I did manage to get some sleep.

My eyes slid shut not knowing that after today nothing would be the same again.

* * *

The day was hot and humid once again. Around us were the warriors readying their nets and spears. Beside the boat Anubis and I were riding there were two other boats flanking our sides. Although Anubis was the one giving the boat power, I was giving all the directions. The current wasn't strong so the other boats were able to keep up. When I would glance over the water's edge, I would sometimes see the shadow of fish following the boat. "The piranhas are following us," I called out to Anubis. "I think they want a second taste." He shook his head.

We slowed down as we came closer to the jar. I had to shout out more directions until I was sure all the boats were positioned around the jar. They started readying their net. It was very large and heavy, but it was exactly what we needed. It was designed specifically to scrape the river's floor and pick up anything that dwelled there. From what Carios explained earlier, it took at least two boats to haul up the net. While our boat was in charge of dropping the net, the other two were preparing their long grappling hooks so they could help lift it back up.

"We are ready," Carios said. "How is our position?"

"We're right where we need to be," I replied. "Have you shown your men the position of the jar?"

"Yes, your Highness." Good, I thought. The sooner I can get away from being called 'Your Highness' the better. "Carry on then." He made his way to the others. I noticed Anubis was peering over into the water. I wondered if he took my piranha taunt to heart. I climbed over the bench to stand over him. "Ready to have another piece of your heart back?" I asked.

It was strange how as soon as I started speaking the emotion instantly left his face. It didn't take long for the confused look he had before to drift back. "Yeah, but something's not right." He peered back into the water.

"What's wrong?" I asked anxiously.

He shook his head. "I just feel like something's watching us." I peaked over the edge too, thinking I would see a pair of eyes in the water. But the dark surface showed nothing of what lurked below.

"The piranhas are watching you," I teased to hide my own unease. He smirked for a second but said nothing.

The men were now working the net over the edge. With a splash it dropped into the water while still secured to our boat by a single rope. You could see the years of experience by the way they moved. It was methodical, with no movement made without a purpose. As the other boat worked the net across the river floor, I saw the glow move. It dragged away from me at first but soon came to a slow stop. "I think you have it," I shouted to Carios.

He gives a curt nod and they start moving our boat towards the other one. The ropes their hooks had been pulling were lifted out of the water and traded off into our boat. The man started pulling at the ropes, using their basic pulley system for leverage. The glow steadily grew larger and I knew they caught it. My heart started to pound in excitement.

The net broke the water's surface. Inside it was small fish and crustaceans that live on the water's floor as well as rotted timber and debris from the forest. The net had a coat of muddy sand that was dripping off in large chunks. Without hesitation, I threw my arm through an opening in the net. I worked my way into the fish and wood seeing the glow was just beyond it. My hand touched a hard smooth surface and I grabbed it. I could feel a layer of sandy grime covered the jar. I pulled it out of the net, twisting it so it would fit through the hole. It was too dirty to make out its features, but the glow of it confirmed it was the jar we needed. My face broke into a grin. We did it!

Less than a second after I pulled the jar from the net I heard a loud splash below me. It was hard to believe what I was seeing. A crocodile moved upward out of the water. The fact that it was a crocodile wasn't what alarmed me but its size. The mouth alone was as long as two people. Its jaw clamped onto the net my hand had been in seconds before and submerged it underwater with it. Our boat started to lean sideways, threatening to topple over. A light came from Anubis' hands. The light sliced at the rope holding the net. The boat rocked violently from the release. Everyone fell to the floor. As we regained our footing, a giant tail flew out of the water and crashed into one of the other boats. The wood splintered as it was broken in half.

Carios started yelling out orders to engage in battle with the creature, but I could only watch helplessly. How could they possibly stand a chance against that thing? Anubis seemed to be thinking along the same lines. His mouth was moving with words I couldn't hear and his hands stretched toward the water. A pillar of water shot into the sky and formed into a giant wave that crashed into our boat. We were swept by it, and dragged to shore. When the boat hit land, I flipped over the boat's edge. My back slammed onto the wet shore and I felt sure that I had bruised something. I clutched the jar to my chest and pushed myself up. I saw Anubis jump from the boat and land beside me. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine, just don't do that again. What's going on?"

"Sobek," was all he said. He went back to the other warriors as they were collecting their weapons from the boat's floor.

"You should leave him to me," Anubis told them. "Get yourselves away from the river."

"We are not leaving, Great One," Carios replied strongly. "We have men still braving the waters. We won't abandon them."

"Fine," Anubis said turning from them. His expression turned blank from their response. If you didn't know him as well as I did it would probably have looked like he was thinking, 'It's your funeral, not that I care.' Certainly, the other men gave each other looks like this was what Anubis meant. Since I knew there was no way I could help with the mutant crocodile problem, I decided to use my new status to help Anubis save face.

"You should focus on saving your men instead of fighting the monster. You won't be of any help if you're killed." I kept my voice even and strong which helped to distract them from Anubis' departing words. At first, I thought that I shouldn't be helping them like this. I would prefer to shout, 'Go help him kill that thing!' But I knew that wouldn't be right. Truthfully, I felt it wasn't a battle I wanted others to fight. I willfully made the choice to enter the world of gods knowing the dangers. But I didn't want these people dragged into our problems, because whatever happened to them it would be my fault.

Carios walked to the front of his men. "You may be right. What would you –"

Splash! From the river the crocodile rose from the water. Anubis stood at the beach, a small silhouette compared to the beast rising to meet him. Panic filled my mind and I forgot about everything in the world, even my own breathing, outside of the terror of Anubis facing this creature. But he never made a move to run, but stood tall and still in front of it.

"Sobek!" he shouted. "Stop this!" The crocodile lunged at him. The beast's jaw opened wide, easily large enough to devour a two-story building. Anubis managed to duck under his mouth and the croc's mouth bit into the sand. While on his back, he kicked the beast's jaw. It looked very pathetic of an attack with how small Anubis was compared to the crocodile. The effect was instant, though. His mouth clamped shut with the force and a furious growl ripped out of the beast's lungs. It retreated back, somewhat stunned from its pain.

I managed to breathe again, the initial shock somewhat subdued. I looked to the warriors, their own shock freezing them in place. Only Carios seemed to be aware of their own situation. "Come! We must find the other boats!" The sound of their leader's words broke them of their shock. The group began to depart into the wilderness that bordered the river.

Anubis called to them, "Take Nakia with you!"

"Hell no!" I responded immediately. I knew I was useless but I wasn't about to abandon Anubis. Leaving him would drive me as insane as trying to leave the canopic jar.

Anubis wasn't ready to fight me over this. "Then stay back!"

So I stood back, my arms wrapped around the jar protectively. The warriors left while the crocodile was distracted. The beast began to regain his composure. As it did, Anubis said to it, "Why do you do this, Sobek? Since when have I become your enemy?"

As great of a plan striking a conversation with a murderous mutant crocodile was, it backfired completely. Probably not the conversational type. My panic peaked again as the creature's teeth came for Anubis. Adrenaline made time move sluggishly slow, or was I more aware of what was happening? The adrenaline, however, didn't prepare me for the shock of how the situation completely changed.

Whatever plan Anubis had for dodging the creature's attack, I never saw it. Before the croc's jaw met its target, it suddenly jerked backward by some invisible force. Its open mouth roared in pain. Then from the river came a scorpion of even greater size than the crocodile. Its pinchers snapped at the crocodile's legs but it whipped away. When the scorpion's tail grazed the side of the crocodile as it stabbed at him, the crocodile retreated into the river. The scorpion went after it. The water splashed and then became perfectly still.

Slowly, the birds and creatures of the forest came back to life. The forest's song started to play again. But I was too confused to be calm. All I could manage was to ask, "What the hell just happened?"

Anubis didn't move from the shore. His eyes stayed trained on the river. We both were completely still, me from shock but I wasn't sure about Anubis. I don't think he would be shocked even if he was capable of the emotion. When I was sure nothing was coming to eat us, I made my stiff limbs move. I started to walk to Anubis but he quickly flung out his arm. "Don't come. Stay there," he commanded.

"What's wrong?" I asked. I could barely trust the calm of the forest, and his reaction only confirmed my instincts.

"It's fine, just don't come here." His voice was calmer but I still felt very tense. The minutes passed in absolute silence. I stood still except for my hands fiddling with the jar. When I felt a rhythmic pound on the jar's surface, I stopped playing with it.

I had just decided that Anubis was being paranoid when the water started to move again. It began to bubble and part opening a path to the river's floor. Walking on that path was a gorgeous woman. She was very tall and dressed in a lavish gown that sparkled like gold. She had a darker complexion like the natives here. Her hair was a long sheet of black silk that moved like ripples of water was running through it. I was so astounded by her beauty that I didn't notice her expression. She looked very annoyed and was glaring down at Anubis.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Anubis said with a welcoming but off smile. "My name is Anubis. Thank you for your help earlier."

The woman considered him for a moment, her annoyance a bit eased. "I am Ituana, goddess of this river. Did you bring that beast of a god here?" she asked.

"I know of him, but he certainly didn't come from my invitation."

"But he knows you?" She cocked an eyebrow.

"Yes. If he came for me, I don't know why. He is… easily provoked. His attack may as well been a coincidence."

Her annoyance came back in stronger force. "Really? And I suppose this would be the same coincidence that's left my river smelling of wet dog."

The emotion started to slip from Anubis' face but he continued on. "I was recovering something of mine that had fallen into your river. I knew I was unwelcome when I felt the seal on me."

"You most certainly weren't welcome. I already have to deal with the Pombero's stench." She paused, observing him with disdain. "You may leave in one piece, and consider it a gift. But please try not to lose anything else of yours in my river again. I can't guarantee I will be as understanding a second time." She was turning to return to the river when her eyes flickered to me. Her eyes narrowed and she added, "I guess you'll be taking care of the mortals? I believe two dead ones were recovered from my shore."

I sharp gasp of air ripped my lungs. No one noticed. "I will send off their dead," Anubis replied heavily. Ituana held her gaze on him for a moment, then retreated back to the river, the water erasing her path.

Anubis came to where I was having my first episode. Two people dead. Two lives ended because of me. Their families would be grieving and it was my entire fault. I had sunk into the sand, my forehead rested on my knees while the jar was smashed into my gut. Whether I could see with my eyes closed didn't matter anymore. I couldn't wipe away the images of the warriors who had joined us this morning and wondered whose deaths I was responsible for.

A hand rested on my head. Anubis was sitting in the muddy sand across from me. His sad expression reminded me of his promise. I will send off their dead. We needed to go back but I couldn't move. I wasn't ready for this, to look into the eyes of the families I had stolen from. It may have been in desperation that I clung to Anubis' shirt. I asked barely above a whisper, "What can I do? What can I possibly say to make this better?"

Anubis' eyes hardened. For the first time I saw him as the old man he was. He replied, "I've been around death enough to know there are never any words." He unfastened my grip on his shirt. He rose and I heard a whistle above me. In a couple of moments our boat sailed to us in a ripple of air. Anubis was back on the ground coaxing me to stand. "You should return to the boat. I'll finish things here."

I nodded and stood. I held out the jar to him, my eyes still focused on the ground. "Here," I said. He took it from me and I quickly added, "Drink it when I'm on the boat. I'm at my limit today." He nodded and held my hand while I boarded the boat. I felt the strange sensation of space changing around me and his hand disappeared.

Paws was there waiting for me. My arms quickly wrapped around him. I stayed there for a long time holding on to him as though he were a life support. When I couldn't stand my muddy clothes anymore, I finally let go. Paws followed me wherever I went clearly concerned. He even joined me in the shower, cleaning off the mud and sand my hug had gotten on him. When my physical self was taken care of, I made myself a glass of iced tea and snuggled with Paws on a sofa to deal with my emotional self. I don't know if it was because I didn't know who had died, but I felt more tired than the grief I had at the river. I laid my head into the warmth of Paws' fur and allowed my eyes to droop.

I woke up with no sense of how long I had slept. I reluctantly opened my eyes to quickly realize I still had the blindfold on. I took it off and observed the darkness around me. It had to be nighttime already. In a lounge chair across from me sat Anubis. His face was nestled in his hands hiding his expression. "Anubis?" I asked with sleep in my voice. He didn't move. "Anubis, what's wrong?"

He shook his head and lowered his hands. The look on his face was new to me. It was like the sad expression he gave me earlier but more intense. Even painful. "It's nothing," he replied. "I just need some sleep." He got up and both Paws and I watched him till he left the room. I laid my head down and worried about Anubis. It was harder to worry, though, when I was calmer than I had been since I first sensed the jar. I may have been able to doze back off.

That was until Anubis' cry of pain rang through the night.


	7. The World's Worst First Kiss

**Chapter 7: The World's Worst First Kiss**

I have had all-nighters before, at slumber parties and summer camp, but neither had been as exhausting as last night. I probably should have been thankful that I had slept through most of the previous day or I may have been in a worse state. But the happenings of the last day only left me unprepared for what the night brought.

When Paws and I heard Anubis' scream, we immediately ran after him. We found him at the foot of the stairs, his body crumpled on the floor. He was screaming in agony, writhing on the floor in horrid pain. I knelt down by his side, not sure what to do let alone what was wrong. Paws was just as useless as me, yelping and whimpering as he panted around us. Deciding that watching wasn't accomplishing anything, I grabbed his arm and tried to get his attention. "Anubis! What's wrong? Where does it hurt?"

Then I noticed where he was clutching his hands. His shirt crumpled in his fists. Over his heart. I didn't know if gods could have heart attacks. Whatever it was, it was something I couldn't see. This problem was way out of my league to help with. He jerked violently and his head slammed into the stair's bottom step. I quickly decided I should try and move him.

I attempted to lift him up but it was difficult. Anubis was moving so much himself. He seemed completely unaware of anything outside his pain. I forced his arm around my shoulder, my other hand supporting his other side, and tried to stand up with him. How much does this kid weigh? I had thought that he being my size would mean he couldn't possibly weigh much more than me. I could barely stand with him weighing me down and I was met with the dilemma of walking with him.

Paws came to my rescue. At first he terrified me. He bit Anubis' leg and started to pull on him. His pull on him only added to the struggle his writhing was causing. I gritted my teeth as I felt my knees buckle. Then the weight started to ease. I looked over to see Anubis' eyes open. He was focusing on Paws and he started to move his own feet. Although I was still supporting him, the task became much easier. We managed to get in his room, but he collapsed two feet from his bed. Unprepared, I crumpled to the floor under his weight. Knowing I couldn't lift him, I started shaking him. "It's only a couple of steps. Focus!" He roused and staggered the extra steps. He fell into his sheets, his cries becoming more intense. I pulled at his sheets trying to make him more comfortable. When I finished, I had nothing left to do.

As I watched him, ideas began to formulate the cause of his pain. I may have had it wrong. Although I was sure his heart was the source, it may not be a natural cause. I wondered with dread if the canopic jar I gave him started this. Perhaps it hadn't been his heart, but poison within the jar. Maybe my GPS wasn't really targeting his heart pieces but the physical jars. I could be the cause of yet another tragedy. I couldn't face this.

I got up thinking of getting to a phone or a hospital; someplace he could get some help. A cold balmy hand grabbed my wrist. I turned to see Anubis' haggard face watching me. "I'm fine… This… is normal… Don't leave…"

So I stayed by his side the whole night. Paws was able to bring me damp towels to wipe the sweat from his face with. He then lay at the end of the bed and watched Anubis with puppy eyes. It was an hour before Anubis' shouts turned to moaning. An hour and a half after that there was only the occasional groan. I whipped his face clean, held his hand, and whispered reassuring words through it all. It was all I could do. I don't know how much of a difference this may have had. Maybe he didn't notice at all. There was one moment when jolted awake with a short cry; he gazed at me for the longest time. There were no words or much of an expression on his face. He just watched me till sleep took him again.

Even while he slept I stayed at his bedside. I couldn't find it in me to sleep. I just sat in the dark and listened to Paws and Anubis' slow breathing. I did notice in these silent hours that Anubis' breathing was very drawn out, especially compared to Paws. A couple of times I thought he had stopped breathing only to hear his inhale a second later. I rested my fingers on his wrist where I could feel his faint pulse after a couple of scares.

The night was long. As though I hadn't had enough to deal with already my mind wandered back to the small village by the Amazon River. I wondered if they had buried the two men yet and what sort of ceremony they performed. Whatever it was, I hoped it was extravagant. They deserved the most. I hoped Anubis was a comfort to them. That he was able to make the families feel proud of their service to the gods. I hoped he made things seem less horrifying than they actually were.

My whole body sagged as morning rolled around. I was starting to forget how to blink, my eyes staying shut till I gathered the will to open them. During one of my blinks I felt something brush away the hair in my face. I slowly urged my eyes open to find a pair of copper eyes looking into mine. The meaning of the eyes came slowly to me. These eyes are open. They belong to a person. The person is Anubis. Anubis is awake. "Mornin'," I drawled.

His face contorted into something I didn't know. There was a name for it, but my brain couldn't figure out what it was. His left hand started rubbing the hand that held his through the night. For a strange reason, the feeling of life coming back to my fingers fascinated me. He stared at our hands as he spoke.

"I'm sorry. I should have warned you before. The rejoining of my heart is… a painful process. I wish I could say I was used to it now."

This should have had more meaning to me, but I was beyond the point of comprehending much. Only one senseless detail stayed with me. "That's the first time you've said 'sorry' to me."

His eyes widened and the contorted expression deepened. "Sorry…" he repeated as he pulled his hand away. "You should sleep. You look horrible." He rolled over with his back to me. I ended up in my room without remembering how I got there. I fell asleep within seconds.

Our journey continued on. The next day I briefly saw Anubis with Paws in the bridge. They were revising our traveling route with the newfound range of my GPS. I barely had time to greet him before he left. I didn't see much of Anubis after that, not conscious anyway. He had taken to curling up on the sofa for long hours of the day only rising to eat. For a while I left him alone. I didn't push him because my memory of the expression he gave me when he said 'sorry' finally had a name.

Guilt.

That smiling boy I once knew was now gone. For better company, I started spending most of my time with Paws. As I got to know him more, I understood what Anubis meant by him being highly intelligent for a dog. He was able to communicate with me in a way I've never seen an animal do. With everything I said and asked he would make a gesture to show his response. He could shake and nod 'yes' and 'no', tilt his head as a question, and respond to anything I asked. He sometimes even corrected me when I had misinterpreted him. I could go on telling him stories about myself and I felt a hundred percent sure he understood every word I said. He was good company, but we were both still worried about Anubis.

The responsibility of making sure everyone was fed fell to me. I shopped the outdoor markets with Paws as my guard. I had to cook for three since the dog food had already run out and we weren't due to reach a city for a couple of days. To make my task easier, I gave up on cooking Paws and Anubis' meat. They preferred it raw anyway. It became my routine to leave them their food and escape to the bridge so I wouldn't have to watch them eat.

One evening I left Anubis a cut of beef and steamed vegetables by the sofa. We hadn't spoken at all since I stayed up through the night with him. His head was buried under his blanket so I assumed he was sleeping. I got up to leave but something tugged on my sleeve. I looked back and saw Anubis' eyes were peaking out of the covers, his hand clasped on my shirt. Despite his hours of seclusion, he looked sleep deprived and ill. His skin was nearly white except for the dark bruises under his eyes. His hair was a wreck that pointed in every direction. But this was nothing to the torment in his eyes. It scared me.

As though he were desperate, he blurted out, "I'm sorry, Nakia!"

I stared at him in confusion. I didn't know what he was talking about, but the amount of grief in his voice made me feel sympathetic to him. I sat on the edge of the seat and rubbed the blanketed mass reassuringly. "It's okay," I said softly. "I understand. You don't need to worry about me."

"No, you don't understand," he replied in anguish. "I knew. I knew the whole time the people in that house were going to die. But I didn't do anything. I just wanted to get the jar. I left them to die. I left you to die! It's all my fault!"

He buried his face in his hands and curled into himself. I froze when the meaning hit me. My parents. Anubis was there and he knew they were going to die. He had thought I would die too. But he chose the jar over us. Could he have done anything to save us? I remembered how Anubis had once told me he had not intentionally saved me. At the time, I had not thought of extending that to my parents. I never thought that he had left them to die. But, oddly, I couldn't blame him for what happened like he was. Everything happened so quickly that night. I didn't think either of us knew what would happen. He knew the result, but not the how. He was a mighty god, but right now all I could see was a vulnerable child who's seen more than he could handle.

"Do you know how the explosion happened?" I asked. He shook his head, never removing his hands from his face. "We were supposed to grill burgers the day before. The grill wouldn't work and my dad thought the new kerosene tank he bought was the problem. He bought another one the next day, but it still wasn't working. He put the grill and kerosene tanks in the garage intending to fix it the next day. We cooked the burgers in a pan instead." I laid my head back remembering being spattered with sour cream and the ketchup Eye of Horus.

"They said the wiring was faulty. It started to spark with a kerosene tank still hooked up to it. The garage had two full kerosene tanks as well as two vehicles with full tanks of gas. Our house was small enough that it was completely engulfed in minutes." Glowing fire. My life, my future, all burned in its flames.

He didn't move at all so, after a moment, I continued. "I never blamed you. I still don't. You can't be blamed for faulty wiring. You were more concerned about the jar being destroyed. Between that and a couple of strangers, I can understand your choice."

"It doesn't make it right," he mumbled.

"No, but you still saved me. You managed to get one thing right, even if it was by accident. Thank you."

He pulled his hands away. He didn't look completely convinced. If anything some of his guilt was replaced with weariness. "I don't deserve it."

"Yes you do, and you shouldn't keep moping around like this. A death god can't go around saving everyone."

He sighed and said, "I know. The best I can do is to give them an afterlife." The words flowed from him as though they had been repeated many times before. He pulled up his knees and rested his head on them. "I wish I had my brother's job."

"You're brother's Horus, right?" As I said the words a connection formed in my head. I slapped myself at my stupid forgetfulness. "Duh! Of course. Don't I feel like an idiot."

Anubis peaked over his knees. "You shouldn't. Most people don't know that much."

"Not that," I said. "I couldn't remember who Osiris and Isis' son was. For a while I thought it was you until Thoth corrected me. I just remembered it was Horus. Stupid, stupid…" I ground my head in my agitation.

Anubis looked a bit confused now. "It's not that important. You could have just asked me."

"No!" I exclaimed. "That would have meant surrender! I knew I knew it. I just couldn't think of it." Aware of how confusing I sounded, I rushed to a topic change. "Forget my stupid brain lapse. What does your brother do?"

"He's the king of men. He takes leadership roles and actually saves people." Bad topic change. His shoulders slumped and he was back to grieving.

"Sounds boring," I said with nonchalance. I managed to pull a smile from him. It wasn't the same as his old smile, but I wasn't going to be picky. He replied, "Horus says the same thing. To him the only fun thing in life is beating up Set."

"And blowing up libraries," I added.

He shook his head. "He's such a child. He's determined to always be on Thoth's bad side."

"Does everyone call him a child?"

"Yeah. It was originally to distinguish him from Uncle Horus. He was named after him, but it got confusing so we stared calling them Horus the Elder and Horus the Child, or Big Horus and Little Horus. He hates being called a child, though. We'd probably drop the name if he didn't act like one."

"You don't seem to mind his behavior." I had noticed he had a small smile as he spoke about him.

"He doesn't blow up my graveyards," he responded. The emotion slipped from him. I realized with a pang of guilt that I was more comfortable with his guilty face than his blank one. Ashamed, I turned away and pushed his food to him. "Go ahead and eat. I'll be in the bridge if you need me."

"Kay," he replied.

I had hoped after we had talked he would improve. But nothing really changed, other than me understanding what was wrong. I couldn't stand seeing him always sulking on the couch. I could barely be in the room with him. He was the thing in the room that no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't keep my eyes from wondering back to him. I kept myself in the bridge and, for the first time since I left, I started to miss my home.

It was after I had made a shopping trip in Paraguay that I heard Anubis speak again. I had stumbled on a vendor while shopping selling grilled meat he called 'avado'. I savored the citrus taste in the tender pork while I shared it with Paws. It would have been an ordinary day huddled in the bridge together until Anubis walked in. He had his blanket wrapped around him and he looked dead on his feet.

"Paws, make a stop at Iguazu falls." Paws barked obediently. I bit my lip.

"We don't have to—"

"It was our agreement," he said and quickly left. He hadn't forgotten I wanted to visit the sites. I wanted to go, really. It was the place I was thinking of when I made that deal. This place was important to my parents. But Anubis wasn't in any condition to travel. I had counted on him being too out of it to notice the places we passed. I knew there would be no negotiations over this, so I bit my last piece of avado and left to prepare.

I had finished getting ready when I went back upstairs. On the couch, where he always was these days, Anubis was curled up in his blanket. I suddenly had enough of his brooding. I grabbed his blanket and ripped it off of him. Before he could even look at me I shouted, "You are not going to lay here and leave me and Paws to take care of ourselves! You are going to go downstairs, get showered and dressed, and you are coming to the falls with us and you better enjoy yourself, damn it!" I threw the blanket at him and stormed out the room. Fifteen minutes later, Anubis came for us cleaned and looking slightly better, but still pale and sickly looking.

We got off in the forested area several feet from the main path. We had to casually enter the path without anyone seeing us. Although our entrance went unnoticed, Paws was drawing a lot of attention. Sour faced adults tutted the unleashed dog while children pointed with sequels of excitement. One look from Anubis and everyone pretended we didn't exist.

We could hear the falls before seeing them. We came around a bend and on the other side of the trees was the awesome view. The waterfall towered high in the sky gushing tons of water. Green patches of plants and trees were imbedded in the falls dividing it into their own separate waterfalls. Across the water shone a rainbow that never disappeared. It was beautiful and powerful, like I had never seen anything of greatness in the world until now.

I couldn't keep my eyes off the sight so I was surprised when we came to a large clearing. It was packed with tourists. There were stands selling food and souvenirs, tour guides giving long repeated speeches to groups of tourists, and paths branching off to lifts you could ride to the top. I found a place with maps and I quickly grabbed one for myself.

My heart sank when I surveyed it. There were three trolleys you could take to the top, but which one was the right one? I could remember no mention of a specific path. Disappointment filled me when I knew I would never find the spot I was looking for. The ones who could tell me were gone and I would never know.

A group of laughing people passed by, one of them shoved me sharply. I hadn't expected it since that was the side Anubis had been walking on. I spun around but there were only unfamiliar faces. "Anubis?" I called out. No one came. I wondered around the sea of people, becoming more panicked. I started to feel smaller and smaller, a lost child shuffling through the tall legs with faceless grown-ups, crying for the name I couldn't find.

Leaping through their legs came a black-and-white bundle of fur. "Paws!" I shouted. He bounded to me barking in a whinny tone. "Where's Anubis?" He pointed his muzzle to the left and ran into the crowd. I followed his tail. There were gasps and shrieks of surprise as we forced our way through them. A family in front of us walked away revealing him. He was sitting on his knees staring at the pavement. He was still as a statue. He had no life in his face and his whole body was limp. I kneeled in front of him, parting his bangs to see his face. "Anubis?" I asked hesitantly. He didn't respond at all. It was as though he wasn't there anymore. His voice from a long ago conversation rang in my mind. 'It was like being in darkness. I wasn't really aware of myself or anything around me.' I waved my hand in his eyes, poked him and then shook him. He never noticed. I was scared, but I didn't know what to do. I threw his arm around my shoulder, the same way I had the night he screamed in pain, and dragged him to a bench. Away from the crowd, I tried to bring him from his state. "Anubis? Can you hear me?" He held his blank gaze to the ground never moving. Paws was whimpering, nuzzling his nose to his hand.

"Watch him for a second, Paws." I went to a food stand that read 'Chippa' on it. I bought two hot biscuits and came back. I tried to give Anubis the food, but his eyes stared unfocused. Defeated, I slunk back in the bench and ate the cheesy bread. It was chewy underneath its crusty surface, but I could barely focus on eating. Too helpless to care, I started rambling even though he wasn't listening.

"Did you know my parents met here? Of all the places for two Americans to meet they did it on the other side of the Earth. My father was serving in Argentina and came here on one of his days off. My mother was on vacation with her parents. They met somewhere up there." I pointed to the top of the waterfall. Only Paws looked.

"My mother had run ahead of her parents. She climbed up a rung of the fence and was leaning over it just because she was told not to. It was wet. She slipped and fell into the water. The current swept her to the falls, but my father saw her. He wrapped his legs around a post and stretched out his whole body to reach her. He saved her life. From then on my mother sent letters to my father till he came back to the states. They fell in love and got married."

I pulled out the crumpled map I had thrown in my pocket. I smoothed it out on my legs. "I wanted to find that spot where my mother fell. It had to be one of the paths at the top. But there are three of them. Even if we went to each one, I will never know which spot they met at." I crushed the map in my hands. "If only they could have brought me here before they died."

A tug to my arm yanked me from the bench. I was propelled forward by this force, my feet stumbling to get bearing. I looked forward. Anubis' back was to me, his hand pulling me by my wrist. We climbed a path full of steps that weaved until we were at a wire pulled car. I was drug to a window seat where I sat trying to catch my breath. Paws climbed over me to stick his head out of the window and Anubis sat next to me, breathing evenly.

"Get out of the way, Paws!" I pushed him till he sat by the window and my lap was free. From my fist I smoothed out the nearly destroyed map. "Which path is this?" I asked. Anubis pointed to the middle path. "What makes you think this one?" He looked away, his face blank but no longer dead.

We rode the trolley to the top. When we came to a stop, Anubis grabbed my wrist again as though I would get lost. The path was made in an island that stood in the falls. To the right were a metal fence and a swift river. The island was long and narrow. Anubis walked brusquely towing me behind him. He soon let go of me when the river's end came into view. He sped ahead and pointed to a spot in the river.

"There is where she fell." A question was at the tip of my tongue but Anubis quickly continued down the path. Memorizing where he pointed, I followed him. He stopped at a spot close to where the water fell over the edge. He waited till I caught up to him. "Your father was here." He pointed to the edge of the waterfall past the point where the path ended. "I was over there. I was waiting for her at the edge, to scoop her soul the moment she fell. She was to die from the fall, so I saw no point of making her live through those last seconds. But then your father pulled her from the water. I left without the soul I was promised." He stepped close to me and focused his eyes into mine. They were old but fierce with a power in them I had never seen. I was sure if it were dark out, they would be glowing.

"They were destined to meet each other. Only fate could have allowed her to escape me."

* * *

Anubis started to come back to life after our trip. He still took his naps, but they were shorter and he would spend his times awake with us. I started to spend my time in the living room even when Anubis was sleeping. I didn't think of home anymore and instead focused on the trips we had planned.

There were many places to see this side of South America. We made a stop in Chile at a place with a row of tall statues of faces called Moai. There were many ancient ruins we visited. There were tall fortresses of stone built to protect ancient cities from their enemies. One ruin in the middle of Columbia I couldn't stay at too long. The humid rainforest reminded me too much of the Amazon River. But none of these places were as exciting as our last stop in a country called Peru. There we visited the ruins of Machu Pichu.

It was an ancient city on top of a mountain. Stone walls rose and folded into rooms and stairs too tall for climbing. The buildings were, of course, man-made, but the way the stone and greenery coexisted together made the ruins as one with the Earth as the mountainous peaks around us. As vast as these ruins were, being surrounded by mountains rising into the clouds made me feel very small. I was so high up yet I couldn't even see where the tops of the mountains were.

The last places we had gone to I merely observed without bothering anyone. But here I wanted to learn how this place came to be. We snuck into a group with a tour guide. I think he spoke Spanish but I had no real way of telling. The people who lived here were called Incas. There were many theories why they made this place; for farming, prisoners, worshiping, and many others. The winning theory seemed to be that it was their leader's home away from home. That was a letdown. I would rather believe criminals were tortured to death here than it being the world's first resort.

The place was still religious to them. The stars were important to their beliefs and what better place to do some stargazing than on a mountain? The guide showed us a boulder that was believed to hold the sun on its route through the sky. Anubis snorted behind me and I cracked a grin. I turned and whispered, "What would Ra think to being held in place by a rock?"

Anubis replied, "Don't tell him. He'll destroy the rock."

The guide ended and before the tour guide noticed we didn't belong, we went wondering on our own. It was extremely fun to explore the place. It was like exploring a labyrinth, not knowing what you would find in the next turn. I don't know when I lost Anubis and Paws. I was so engrossed in the ruins that I suddenly noticed no one was with me. I wasn't worried, however. They wouldn't be hard to find, and I wasn't ready to go back yet. I kept exploring. I was now in the smaller rooms where I could imagine people living in these walls. In the light that came in from the door I saw Anubis' shadow walk in. I turned saying, "Isn't this place cool? I can't imagine what –"

It wasn't Anubis at the doorway. He was the same height and age, but he had pale blonde hair, icy blue eyes, and a smile that made shivers crawl down my spine. "You!" I exclaimed in shock and outrage.

The arrogant god leaned on the doorframe and cocked his head. "You don't seem too happy to see me. Were you expecting someone else?"

"I sure as hell wasn't expecting you!"

He started playing with his hair, his eyes focused on his hand and a playful smile on his face. "All this anger because I don't have a jackal head. That really isn't fair."

I didn't want to deal with him. I stormed past him hissing, "Stop following me."

A strong grip held my shoulder in place. No matter how much I shoved I could not move. The god moved in front of me and held my gaze. He was the same height but he still managed to look down on me. "Don't jump to conclusions, mortal. I happened to be in the neighborhood and decided to go on a vacation, just like you. The scenery is beautiful, isn't it?" His voice was mocking. He let me go with a smug smile. I wanted to run, push him off the mountain and roll the giant sun rock on top of him, but I held my ground. If I tried to leave he would stop me and I didn't want his disgusting hands on me.

Either sensing my defeat or revulsion, probably both, he wrapped his arm around my shoulder – 'Anubis needs to teach me how to growl' I thought – and spun me around to face the view of the ruins. "Amazing what wonders mortals can achieve. It can be so easy to assume you creatures are too weak to do anything. This trip has really opened my eyes. Don't you think the same, Nakia?" I could feel him staring at me, but I focused my glare into the distance, my arms crossed in defiance.

"You know," he said with a slight menace in his voice, "these people lived, what, half a millennium ago? It may seem like a long time to you, but what's a millennium or two to a god?" His voice was now a whisper in my ear and made goose bumps creep up my arm. "Would you like to know firsthand what life was like here? I could tell you all about it."

"If I wanted to know, I –" Surprise, anger, repulsion, terror; the emotions slammed into me when I turned to glower at him and his lips met mine. It all lasted only a second before the world disappeared and I ceased to exist.

* * *

I am going to die. It's all I can think. I am more terrified than I have been in my life, but I also just want this to end. Let life take me and end my suffering. I have nothing to live for anymore. No family, no tribe nor my king is left for me to serve. If the gods are looking down on me now, I can only pray for them to end me.

The stone walls tower over my crumpled body, but the heavens stretch endlessly in the sky. They are so beautiful, a better sight to die to than my burning village. I am a warrior, yet I ran away. But I knew when I saw the fire weapons the foreign men used to kill my people in seconds that there was no hope. We could never win. So why, Túpac? Why lead us warriors to certain death when we could flee with our lives? Why couldn't you welcome us into your kingdom in the mountains where they would never find us? Why?

I will never be found, but it doesn't matter anymore. I will die anyway. Maybe this is the magic those evil men carry that has deformed my body. I can no longer see my skin. Flat bumps cover every part of me like scales on a fish. The bumps are hard and leak of thick liquids. My body aches and I am too weak to move. I should get water from the channel, but if I had the strength, I fear my reflection. My face is a mask of my disease and no longer mine. I do not want to see the monster that is killing me.

My eyelids no longer wish to stay open. My body has no will to fight. I fear sleep. How many times have I thought death was finally claiming me only to wake into my nightmare? My hope for the end is crushing me, but I can't fight anymore. The world starts slipping and I see a figure standing over me. Is it a man or a dog? I cannot tell. But if he is death, I hope he will be swift.

* * *

I was confused to wake up, not only alive, but to have someone's lips kissing mine. I didn't know what was happening, only that I felt very sick. I pushed the person away and ran to a corner to release my stomach. My hands touched my arms, chest, and face but my skin was smooth again. Bile filled my mouth and I let it splatter the ground. My skin was normal again; smooth and soft. But hadn't I just been dying? Am I already dead? It was so real. It had happened so quickly.

Right?

Slowly it comes back to me. I am Nakia. I am a teenage girl, not an Incan warrior. I am not dying. I was visiting Machu Pichu with Anubis and Paws and then I ran into…

"Wasn't their life here amazing?"

I jumped and turned to see cold eyes boring into mine. He was still smiling but it was terrifying. I could not move but watch him as his voice purred, "To think a king would have such a vast kingdom that he could build a palace on a mountain to use at his leisure. Yet when the Spanish came with their guns and cannons, but does he give away his palace so they may live? No. He can't stand the thought to lose his kingdom to another. He sends his people to die and loses everything anyway. Isn't this place cool?" He said mimicking my earlier words. "I can't imagine what life must have been like."

"Who are you?" I asked in a small voice.

His smile widened. "I am Amun, the god of hidden meaning. I hope you will learn from me not to trust things by the way they appear. Your pretty eyes could be deceiving you."

"Nakia?"

Anubis and Paws were up ahead. Amun turned and grinned. "There he is. I was wondering when we would be interrupted." Anubis paid no mind to Amun and held his eyes on me, concern on his face.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm—" My eyes widened in horror. Amun had walked straight to Anubis and was caressing his cheek. His lips were inches from his face as he slowly traced his jaw line. Anubis never moved or looked at Amun. His only concern was me. And then, with dread, the truth sunk in.

Anubis can't see him.

Amun gave me one more domineering smile and walked away. I was frozen, watching him leave. Anubis looked behind him to see what I was staring at, but his eyes only registered Paws. He turned back, looking confused. "What's wrong?"

I didn't react at first. I was watching. Only until Amun turned a corner and vanished from view could I move again. My hands instinctively rubbed each other as I thought of how to respond. What should I say? Should I tell him? Would he know there is a god he can't see? And how can I explain that when he kissed me I had become an Incan warrior? And when the memories of that warrior played in my mind, I knew I couldn't tell him.

"Nakia?" He was now shaking me now. It was strange how the more worried he grew, the less emotion showed on his face.

"Don't shake me." I meant to sound annoyed but my voice was hollow.

"What's wrong?" he implored. Paws gave a whiny bark seconding his question.

"I… I need to get out of here. Now." I hated how panicked my voice sounded, especially since I felt more numb than scared.

Anubis nodded and started leading us through the ruins. I kept my eyes on the ground. Paws was keeping close to me and I watched his tail smack my leg. If anyone stared at us I wouldn't know. I didn't want to see any of them, but mostly I didn't want to see a pair of icy blue eyes amongst them. When we got into the boat, I went straight to my room. I needed to be alone so I could get a hold of myself.

I had never been truly afraid of a person before. Shy, but not scared. I grew up not seeing a stranger in anyone. That terrified my mother but my father understood. He had said that I could see goodness in everyone, and maybe I could before they had died. But then the accident happened and my world changed into one where people could disappear in a moment. But still I never feared anyone. The world was darker, but I was safe because there were always others who would be there for me.

Until now. Until I met someone who was invisible to the one person who could protect me. If I could really see goodness in anyone, I could not see any in Amun. His eyes were as cold as his heart. His most casual touch made me feel more violated than Anubis seeing me naked. My first kiss, which should have been a memory of first love, was the most terrifying experience in my life. The numbness was fading, and with my fear came a burning anger. I hated him. More so than anyone I have known. Even more than the bullies who drove Andy to suicide and Anubis' heart-stealing mother.

Because he knew. He knew exactly how to get under my skin. He knew what to show me so I would never reveal what had happened to Anubis. That warrior's wish had come true. Death had come, and I knew him. It was the body of the boy I see every day. The face of a dog that had been in my dreams since he had broken into my home. It was the crude drawing of a bizarre god my parents happily pointed to and explained to me. That moment had happened to someone else. I knew that, but because I had lived through it myself I couldn't shake the memory

of Anubis coming forth to deliver my death.

* * *

My most embarrassing moment happened during graduation rehearsals from middle school. The teachers had told the students not to cheer, so of course they did. Well, only the popular kids were cheered for, which irritated me. I watched my few friends walk across the stage in silence, and then watched some of the worst of our class celebrated. Andrew had been booed by the celebrated. It was disgusting.

Then it was Keylyn Shin's turn. I had bonded with her during the two years she was in our school. Once she graduated there, she was going back to Korea. I would miss her, but I wanted her to remember us fondly. I wanted her to know we would think of her no matter how far she was. I yelled out a cheer. Alone.

Everyone turned to stare at me. There were no whispers or reprimanding from the teachers. Only 300 pairs of eyes and silence. My face burned and I spent the rest of the ceremony staring at the floor.

But as embarrassing as that was, it was nothing to how awkward it became between Keylyn and me. I had not only embarrassed myself, but her as well. We could never seem to start a conversation after that. The few exchanges we had were painfully polite and filled with long pauses. She left the country without giving me a goodbye.

That was exactly how awkward I felt around Anubis now. When I had made it clear that I didn't want to talk about what happened at Machu Pichu, he didn't bring it up again. But it was always on our mind. Our few exchanges were short, polite, and full of long pauses in between. Sometimes when I would look up from a crossword or from cooking I would catch Anubis quickly looking away. I felt horrible for keeping secrets from him, but more than anything I didn't want to add to his problems. He was still sleeping more than usual from the guilt that was weighing down his heart. Not to mention we still had other heart pieces to find. I would deal with Amun myself and make sure Anubis got his heart back.

For a week we sailed over endless blue oceans. It was cool the first two days to see so much open space. After a while, however, I had enough of everything being blue. I missed green. So when we sailed over the French Polynesia, my face broke into a stupid grin.

We stopped for food, but it was also time to decide where to go next. We were all in the bridge. I had brought with me a giant burlap bag filled with mangos. I was on my fifth mango, enjoying the sweet flavor. Paws was next to Anubis giving me glares for not bringing any meat for him. Anubis had been observing the map for well over half an hour, not saying a word. I was starting to think he had forgotten about me when he waved for me to come over.

"I think it would be best to do two rounds around the Earth. We already have to go back for North America. We might as well divide the countries we search in half to simplify this."

Anubis did a really cool trick. With two fingers tracing the map, the countries he touched would glow and rise from the map making mountains and valleys form. He swiped his hand over the main lands of Asia, Africa, and Europe. "We'll take care of the large chunks of land first." He ran his hand over the map again and all the tiny islands scattered everywhere glowed yellow. "Then we'll take care of the islands on the second time around."

I never realized how many islands there were and many were easy to overlook. His plan was reasonable enough. Even if it took longer, it was better than missing a place where the jar was and not know where we missed it. I studied the green and yellow glowing countries and noticed something.

"I like the idea, but can we go to Japan the first trip?"

"Why?"

"I'm dying from being away from a computer so long. Japan probably has the most advance technology in the world. I want to see if I could find a portable device to play with." I touched the spot where Japan was. I strange sensation ran through my fingers when my hand met. It felt as though cool water was shooting up my arm from under my skin. When I pulled away the small island I had touched changed from yellow to green. "Sorry! Sorry, I didn't mean to do that."

Anubis was looking at the map with a confused expression. Before I could apologize again, he looked at me and asked, "What's a… whatever device?"

"A portable device?" I said taken aback. He nodded now looking curious. "Umm, it's an electronic you can carry with you, like a cell phone or a DS. And I can tell I'm only confusing you more…" It was true. Once I got past 'electronic' his expression became more and more baffled. As the silence stretched, the awkwardness that had plagued us crept back in. My mind stammered till I could think of what to say. "I'll show you when we get there, I guess… We will go to Japan, right?"

Anubis returned his eyes to the map. "You marked it."

"Ok, umm," I stammered, "I think I'm gonna head to bed."

Paws barked in annoyance. Anubis said, "Could you feed paws before you do?"

"Sure," I replied heaving the sack of mangos. "Come on, Paws!" He happily trotted after me.

Night had already fallen. I stared into the stars and found the moon, a small glimmer of light in the sky. I had forgotten till now about the night I saw Anubis' eye color change in the moonlight. I felt like that had happened a century ago rather than a couple of weeks. I wanted to ask him about it, but I knew I wouldn't be able to for a while. There had been a lot of things I've wanted to ask but never did.

I got Paws his food and left him in the kitchen. I was so relieved to see my bed that I fell straight into it. It would have been easy to fall straight to sleep but I didn't. Maybe it was stress from our last trip, but I had managed to fall under the same spell as Anubis. I had been sleeping in more than usual and I have fallen asleep a couple of times in the living room. Sleeping was a lot easier than being awake. Even so, I forced myself to get ready for bed.

With the lights out, I snuggled into my blankets. My ears rang from the silence, but I tried to imagine that our boat was in water and it was the sound of waves crashing against it. I began to sink into sheets and waves, sinking deeper and deeper…

A hand lifts me from the waves. I try to push it away so I can go back to the ocean, but the hand grabs me. I'm disoriented in the water, and then I found blankets and lots of darkness. The only light was two golden eyes staring at me. I blinked trying to focus in the darkness.

"Nakia, wake up," Anubis' voice said.

I rubbed my eyes trying to see the boy in my bed. "What is it?" I asked groggily.

"I need your help with something." It took a moment to understand, and then I was trying to get up. Before I could prop myself on one elbow Anubis' hand grabbed my face. In a whisper he said, "Sleep now. Leave this world behind."

And I slept.


	8. Urges to Kill

**Chapter 8: Urges to Kill**

'I am going to kill Anubis', was my first thought.

I wasn't sure what he did to me. Whatever it was, I had a feeling it involved either LSD, heroine, or crack because I felt entirely insane. I was having an out-of-body experience. My new body was made of bright light and was very bulky. My arms were much bigger than they felt and I couldn't find my legs under my belly. From somewhere faraway I knew I was still breathing and I had a heart that was still beating. It wasn't in this body. It was in the body I had left and the only proof I had that it still existed was the part of my mind that told me it was still alive.

The hallucination had brought me to the duat. I was underneath the tall, black scale in the large parlor. I couldn't get up from the ground. My strange body just wobbled as I struggled. There were other gods around, but they were too absorbed in their own business to notice me. I was panicked, flapping my arms as my instincts told me to do. Everything was much larger than I had remembered. I was small, weak, and vulnerable to the larger creatures wandering around here. I felt alone and frightened, and being in this alien body only reminded me of the last time I had been in a body that wasn't mine, diseased, dying. Fear tugged hard on me.

Then an enormous hand came down on me. In my fright to get away, I squawked. The hand froze. I squawked again, but from surprise that I was squawking. The large hand came again. Instead of grabbing me as I had thought, it petted me gently on the head. Then a voice I knew said, "Calm down. You're alright."

I looked up at the owner of the hand. Anubis had turned into a giant who was crouched down on the floor but still towering over me. He was hesitant but trying to be gentle. I started squawking angrily remembering how I had landed here. Emotion left him, but he continued to watch me as he tucked his hands between his knees. "Unless you want to stay a bird, you should calm down."

A bird? I looked down again at the light that made my body. The arms I thought were bulky were actually covered in feathers. When I bent down I could see thin chicken feet under my belly. I wanted to complain more at Anubis for making me a bird, but I didn't want to stay this way. I tucked in my wings and stood still while managing to glare hatefully at him. Undeterred, he said, "Okay, now close your eyes. Think about what your old body felt like and will yourself into that form."

Will myself into the form? I didn't know how on earth I would manage that. Either way, I wasn't getting anywhere like this. I closed my eyes as he instructed. I thought about my body, but I couldn't remember how it felt in that body while I had chicken feet. I decided to start small. I began at the toes and thought of the feeling of wiggling them in sand. Then I thought about how I would wiggle my foot to get them into my boots. I remembered the ache my legs would get after a long run. I went up to my stomach that I could feel in another place was still full of mangoes. I thought of how easy it was to pick things up with my human hands. I went all the way to my head and when I opened my eyes, the world became smaller and I was in a human body again. I was sitting on my knees with Anubis eye level with me.

Whatever calm I had achieved to change back was gone. I raised my hand to hit Anubis. When I swung, it went straight through him. I blinked and tried to hit him again. And again. No matter how many times I tried my hand went through him. All the while Anubis stared at me puzzled. He gave me a look like you would give a crazy person, which was probably how I looked right now. At the end I was panting, not because I had lungs – I didn't at the moment – but from my frustration. I blurted out, "Why can't I hit you?"

"You're not trying hard enough," he had the nerve to reply.

"Yes I am!"

"Why are you trying to hit me?"

"For coming into my room and doing… doing whatever you did to me!"

"I released you ba."

"I'm not a sheep!"

"Huh?" He cocked his head and looked completely lost. I stared back equally lost not knowing what we were talking about anymore. It took a moment to realize I said something really stupid while shouting the first thing that popped in my head. Embarrassed I said, "Forget it. You said you need help with something?"

"It's Thoth who needs you, actually," he said as he stood up. "Come with me." He offered his hand. I took it and stood up with him.

We walked in silence. Everything here looked entirely the same as the first time I came yet this visit felt so different. For one, instead of following timidly behind Anubis, I walked beside him feeling completely at ease even around all these gods. Perhaps it was because I had already met several gods already or because I was more at ease with Anubis that I felt comfortable here.

Also, though I was in a human form, I still didn't feel completely human. I had no need to breathe and felt no heart pounding in me. As I looked at my hands I noticed that, although they were the same as they usually were, the light wasn't casting shadows or highlights on me as they should. It was as though my body was being illuminated by something that was only affecting me but not the space around me.

We came to the door to Thoth's office. The same as before, Anubis walked in without a single knock. As he opened the door I heard a child's voice say, "But I checked them and they're working fine. Ra even filled them up yesterday. You're the only one that's having problems."

The inside of his office was as disorderly as ever. Thoth was sitting at his desk, his glasses glowing blue from the light of his computer monitor. Beside his desk standing on a tall stack of books was a young boy. He looked like he could be seven or eight. He was dressed in long robes of pure white. He had untidy black hair and striking silver eyes the color of the moon. He looked over when we came in and a boyish grin broke into his face. He started to bounce as he pointed at us and exclaimed, "Look! Look, Thoth! They're here!"

Thoth came around the desk to us, followed by the boy hopping off the books after him. He smiled politely and said, "It's good to see you, Nakia." He turned to Anubis. "Thanks for bringing her."

"Sure," he replied looking bored.

"If you could come over here," Thoth waved to me. I immediately obeyed. My memory had betrayed me. I thought I would be prepared this time to not be lulled by his silky voice, but it was as if his voice had grown more alluring.

Following Thoth, the young boy kept looking back at me with great curiosity. I had never seen a boy with such a sweet face before. He made children chosen for covers of parenting magazines look painfully average. He looked like he was holding back something he wanted to say. Until we weaved around the paper stacks to Thoth's desk did the boy finally blurt out, "Are you really still alive?"

"Um… I should be…" I stammered.

He gave me an angelic smile I couldn't help to smile back. "Wow! You're the first living human I've seen in seven millennia! I wish I could have seen you when you came with your body."

"My lord, if you could," Thoth said to the boy.

"Sorry," he pouted.

I came to the front of his desk but Thoth waved for me to come around to him. "What do you need me for," I asked apprehensively but curious.

"This," he said gesturing to his computer.

My eyelids dropped and I froze from how nostalgic this felt. If there is one thing I have learned it is this: when a person knows someone who is good with computers, whether it be a relative, friend, or neighbor, they will always seek them first when something goes wrong. It can be both wonderful and annoying. I have made good money helping people out. I even made fifty dollars from an old lady down the street when it turned out the power cord came unplugged from her wheelchair running over it. She was so relieved she gave me the money and refused to let me leave without it.

But sometimes it really got annoying. Not all problems I could fix. If I couldn't, I would often receive the frustrated ranting of my neighbors who had no choice but pay good cash somewhere else. Molly, however, was undeterred when I couldn't fix her laptop. For the hell of it, we followed an obscure rumor for fixing it by sticking the motherboard into the oven. To our great surprise, it had worked. Molly gained two months time to buy a new one before it gave out again.

It seems that even the gods were no exception to this rule. I have had my ba or whatever dragged into the duat all to fix a computer. I sighed, resigning myself to my fate. "What are you having problems with?" I asked in a flat tone.

"It won't start, and when it does I get this." He brought the monitor from sleep mode and everything on the desk glowed blue.

"The blue screen of doom…" I whispered.

"Doom?" the little boy explained.

"I'm sure it's not the type of doom you're thinking of." I was in my brainiac mode now taking a seat in Thoth's chair.

"Can you fix it?" Anubis asked from across the desk.

"This may be beyond me. I don't have the equipment to look into where the error is occurring. Umm," I rubbed my forehead in thought. "Let's turn this off and look under the hood. Anyone got some screwdrivers?"

The boy suddenly bounced in one place. "Oh! Me! Me! I'll get them!" He lept off his book pile and ran to the door.

Thoth shouted out, "Please be careful while you run!" A small voice called, "Okay!" from outside the door. Several seconds later we heard shrieks of surprise and a voice saying, "Sorry!" Thoth shook his head.

"Who gave him caffeine?" I asked amused.

"Him? He is just glad to have something useful to do. I should have never informed him of my situation. He gets so wound up when there's a problem he can't sort out."

"He would have found out anyway," Anubis said while sitting on a small pile of old books. "I promised him he could meet Nakia the next time I brought her here."

"When was that?" I asked trying to think of a time Anubis had been gone long enough to go to the duat.

"Not long after I brought you here. I may be traveling the world, but that doesn't mean I can drop all my responsibilities."

"Anubis is always using his ba to get here. I hardly see him in his body anymore," Thoth added.

"What is a ba?" I asked but as I did a cry came from the door.

"I got it!" The young boy came running holding up his robes to not trip over them. His head was all that was visible as he strained his arm to hand me the box of screwdrivers. "Here you go~!"

"Thank you," I replied and he smiled. As I removed the power cord, the boy climbed up his books, pushed away some paper piles, sat on the desk, and watched me unwaveringly. Thoth looked like he wanted to tell the boy off for sitting on his desk but held his tongue. Anubis was out of my sight but I could hear a clinking that sounded like paperclips.

"What were you guys talking about?" the boy asked.

Thoth pushed his glasses up his nose and replied, "Nakia asked what a ba is."

"Oh, then Anubis would be the expert on that."

"I also know a lot on the subject!" Thoth said sternly seeming offended at the suggestion of someone knowing more than him.

"You know everything – well, almost everything…" The boy's eyes drifted to the computer.

"I would like to see other gods try and keep up –" Thoth and the boy continued to bicker with each other. Another voice joined the fray and I had to strain myself to here Anubis explain, "A ba is one of our souls. Although it usually stays with the body, it can leave when the body loses consciousness."

"It's only one of our souls? How many souls can you have?"

"You have five in all. For most things I do, I only deal with two of those souls; the ba and ka. The ka is your soul that keeps you alive and leaves you when you die. But even if the ka leaves the body, the ba will stay within you."

I was on my last screw. I asked, "Is that what you do? Make sure the ba leaves the body?"

I heard a shuffle and then he said, "Yes. If the ba isn't released, both the ka and ba will suffer from the body decaying."

I got the last screw out and pulled off the cover on the modem. The bickering turned silent as they watched what I was doing.

"Wooow…," came the boy's voice. "It looks so weird on the inside."

I wasn't paying attention to him, however. The moment I pulled the cover off, the air was filled with a horrible smell. It was a combination of pennies, burnt toast, and wet dog. Then I saw the inside. What little plastic parts there were on the motherboard was melted and warped. The usual bright green of the circuit board had turned black on one side. "What the hell?" I said without thinking.

"What is it?" the boy asked anxiously. Thoth was also scuttling over to get a good look.

"This thing's completely fried…" I said as I inspected the other parts. I couldn't figure out how it had happened until I looked at the fans. My hand went straight to my forehead. "Thoth, when was the last time you've cleaned this?"

"I haven't. Was I supposed to?"

"Look at this mess!" I ripped out the fan not even caring I had snapped the latches holding it in place. The fan was barely visible underneath all the hair that was twisted inside it. It was a colorful assortment of fur that was black, gray, brown, white, short, and long with even some feathers wrapped up in the mess. Thoth took it from me and turned it in his hands. "This design is too simple. I could have invented something much more efficient than this."

"Is it supposed to have fur in it?" the boy asked.

"Of course not," I said staring sternly at Thoth. "This is what happens when you don't clean a computer with animals around. With how many animal-headed gods there are around here it's no wonder you have so much fur in this thing."

"I see…" Thoth tapped his chin thoughtfully. "And what function does the fan serve the contraption?"

"Ventilation," I replied turning immediately into computer geek mode. "The inside can get very hot with how much power it takes to keep it running. The fans make sure the temperature stays down. See those black marks. It's signs of overheating."

"Yes, a very simple concept. The Earth's atmosphere is similar if you simplify it."

The boy had been staring glossy eyed at us not understanding what we were saying. He finally asked, "Can you fix it?"

I shook my head. "Nope, this thing's fried. I might be able to salvage the data. I'll pull out the driver. You'll have to take it to a professional to see if it's still okay. Do you backup your files, Thoth?"

"Of course! I'm not completely incompetent with mortal technology!"

"Thoth is really smart!" The boy grinned up at him.

"I think you've made your opinion of me quite clear," he replied in an icy tone.

"Aw, don't be mad. I was kidding –"

"Lord Osiris!" The voice from the hall made all our heads turn. The boy suddenly panicked and scrambled to get down. "I'm not here!" he shouted as he crawled over my feet to get under the desk. A second later, a lion-headed goddess scrambled into the room. I froze from my work. I may have glance at the animal headed gods in the hall but seeing one up close was bizarre. She had gold cat eyes and bronze fur that melded into smooth skin at the neck. She was panting and I jumped when she spoke without opening her mouth. "Ah, Anubis. Have you seen your father?"

"We just had a new moon, right?" The other god nodded. "No, I haven't been staring at my feet while I walk."

"Thoth?" he asked looking desperate.

"Oh, I saw him alright." I heard the boy draw a sharp breath under me. "I sent him off to check the solar generators and he still hasn't returned. If you find him remind him that I'm still waiting for the day he decides to grace me with his presence."

The goddess trying to be respectful and leave quickly, bowed while running backwards. "Solar generators. Got it. Thanks, Thoth!" She bolted out of the room.

Thoth relaxed and glanced under the desk. "Well, that should have bought you some time."

The boy crawled out from under me. His expression was indignant as he asked, "You guys don't always talk about me like that behind my back, do you?"

"Only when you're skiving off your work," Thoth replied with a knowing smile.

The boy peeped around the desk. "Anubis?"

Anubis stood from his spot holding a strange metal mesh. "I was being honest. I really haven't been staring at my feet while I walk."

The boy blinked but then a defeated smile settled on his face. "Ma'at will be so proud of your honesty!" he said resuming the same chipper tone from before. Thoth snorted at his comment.

"Wait just a sec," I interrupted. I had been staring at the boy the whole time, my words caught in my throat. Now I couldn't keep my thoughts from tumbling out. "You're not Osiris, are you?"

That boy gave me a glowing smile. "I am Osiris."

Thoth said, "Such a formal introduction, my lord," at the same time I exclaimed, "But you're so short!"

"He ages with the moon cycle," Anubis explained while I clamped my hands over my big mouth.

"I'm still growing," Osiris said, puffing out his chest trying to look mighty but looking more like a child acting like a 'big boy'. "Come see me in a week. I'll be six centimeters taller than Thoth."

"He revels in those six centimeters," Thoth mumbled as he started to dismantle the fan I had handed him.

The gears in my head were frozen. I could only stare at Osiris till Anubis asked, "Are you finished with this thing?"

I snapped out of my trance and started fumbling for a screwdriver. "Just about…"

The room was strangely quiet while I was disconnecting parts of the computer. The only sound was the occasional murmurs of "This component is very inefficient" and "what cheap material" from Thoth. I was ten times more anxious having the boy watching me now that I knew he was Osiris. Osiris, however, was genuinely curious about what I was doing. Whenever I glanced at him, he would give me a smile that reminded me of the Anubis before I found his grief. I tried not to look over at him again.

Finally, I was done and handed Thoth the driver. "Take this to a technician and tell them the situation. They'll tell you whether the data is okay."

"Excellent. Thank you." Thoth took the driver, hungrily staring at it like he wanted to take this apart too.

"Also," I added severely, "get some compressed air cans and clean your computer from now on. In your case, I would say once every month would be best."

"It will be attended to," he replied distressed. He was now observing the dismantled modem.

"Ready to go?" Anubis asked.

"Um, sure…" I wondered how exactly I was going to go back. There was a tug on my sleeve. I turned to find Osiris' silver eyes steadily looking into mine.

"It was really great to meet you, Nakia. And thank you for worshiping me."

"Huh?" He pointed to my neck and I remembered the amulet. "Um, you're welcome, but I didn't really believe gods existed before I met Anubis."

"You still believed in my power, though. You wore my amulet believing in the connection to the duat and your parents, right?" He laughed at my stunned face. "That's enough, really."

Before I could reply, Thoth started shooing Osiris to the door. "Nakia is leaving and so should you."

Osiris whined, "Aww, but it's so much harder to work while I'm this small. Every moon cycle, as soon as I finish teething, everyone expects me to do everything – " They left the room, Osiris still complaining.

The silence in the room pressed against my ears once they were gone. I knew Anubis was standing next to me but I didn't look at him. I stared at the door to the hallway as I said, "Hey, Anubis? What did happen to my parents after they died? They're here in the duat, aren't they?"

I stole a glance at him. He was staring at me, conflicted eyes watching as he thought of what to say. His eyes turned blank, the emotion slipping instantly from him. He raised his hand to my face and said, "Return and wake in your world."

And I did.

* * *

I woke in my bed. Total darkness filled the room. I was painfully aware of my body. It felt uncomfortable and achy compared to the last form I was in. My body was very heavy and I couldn't manage to lift my arm up. Panicked, I tried my other arm and smacked my hand on the bed's backboard with my effort to lift it. That's odd, I thought. I felt around in the darkness to see why my other arm was so much heavier.

My hand found a mound of messy hair below my neck. Dumbfounded, my hand found an ear and chin before my drowsy mind could put meaning to them. A person was lying on top of me. I shouted in surprise and pulled myself away in from the intruder. In my haste, I fell off the bed taking the blankets with me. I untangled myself from the mess, my shock making all my movements very quick and awkward. My hand groped for the switch to the bedside lamp. A click and I could see the room again.

On my bed where I had been just a moment ago was Anubis lying on his stomach fast asleep. My mind was numb, and then it came back. I stood up quickly, my blood pounding hard from anger and embarrassment. It was one thing to send my ba to the duat without warning, but why couldn't he get out of my bed before sending his own ba? I grabbed his arm and leg with a great impulse to throw him off the bed. I almost did, until the memory of my attempts at hitting him cam fleeting to the forefront. I hesitated then, guiltily letting go of him. Instead, I grabbed my pillow and blanket and stormed out muttering, "You'll think again about pulling that trick after I burn your lunch tomorrow."

* * *

"Modern civilization! How I've missed you!"

After six days of twisting over barren parts of Russia we finally made a stop in Japan. We got off in a deserted rural area far outside Tokyo. We had walked to the train station and have been on route to the center of downtown Tokyo. Paws was very restless through the trip. We had to use Ma'at's amulet to trick the train workers into letting him on as animals aren't allowed onboard. To keep a low profile, we told him to stay still in his seat. My hand was permanently attached to his ears trying to soothe his cries of boredom.

The scenery that had once been neighborhoods was now filled with skyscrapers. I started bouncing in my seat in excitement making Paws yelp with the desire to stretch his legs. Anubis took over scratching his ears, his eyes staring blankly out the window as he has through the whole ride. I never knew I would miss the modern world as much as I did now. I missed seeing paved streets filled with people dressed in normal clothes, walking into stores inside buildings and not stands sitting on the side of a dirt road. And it wasn't really just seeing the city, because we have passed a fair number of cities before. It was being with the people, the normal humans I know of, that has left me longing for the modern world.

At last a female voice announced that we were arriving at our station. Some of the passengers, mostly the ones around my age, started to gather around the doors. I started when Anubis tapped my shoulder.

"Jeez, you scared me!"

Undeterred he said, "Follow me out the station with Paws. I'll keep ahead so no one will notice him."

"Yes, sir. Hear that Paws? Don't go running away just because you want off the train." Paws gave me a disdainful look as though it was an insult to suggest he would do such a thing.

Outside the station we walked into the crowd. After so many quiet days it sounded very noisy in the city. The square was full of younger people hanging out or waiting by themselves. Some business men were making their way out the station, briefcases swinging by their sides. Paws was drawing a lot of attention as he trotted happily next to me. Weaving through the people, I saw many stores; fast food, clothing, and music shops. I was itching to spend my 'allowance'.

We passed by a statue that made me stop. It was a large statue of a sitting dog facing the station. Many people were gathered under it all of them seeming to be waiting by themselves. I said to Paws, "That's what we need. Giant statues of you like this one."

He barked at me and ran at the statue. With his front paws resting on the statue's mantel, he started to bark at the dog as though he were talking to it. The bystanders all started to laugh at him. By the pleased way he looked at them, I knew he had done it just for this reaction. I gently tugged on his tail to get his attention. "Alright. Enough joking around. We need to catch up to Anubis."

But it was very hard to find him in this crowd. Every time I saw copper colored hair amongst all those with black hair, my heart would leap for it to only be someone with bleached hair. I started to panic as images of Anubis dead on his knees before a waterfall raced in my mind. I called out his name as I searched. Many heads turned to look at me but I didn't care. Paws' nose on the ground, he barreled past me from a scent he caught. I ran after him. As I caught up, I heard him.

"Let go."

I broke through a group of people and saw him. He was bent forward, his head locked in a pin by a taller person who was knuckling his head vigorously. His back was to me so all I could see was his blonde hair shining brightly against his tan skin. The other boy was laughing excitedly.

"Where have you been, man? I haven't seen you in decades!"

Paws joined the fray, growling at the boy holding Anubis in a head lock. The boy stopped taking notice of Paws.

"Think I smell tasty, pup? Try to take a bite and you'll regret it."

"Let me go now or I'll tell him to," Anubis replied. Despite his words, he had no trace of anger at all in his voice. As feeble as his threat sounded, the boy complied and let him go, taking a step back and turning towards me. His eyes caught mine. If Osiris' eyes had been bizarre, it was nothing to this boy's. His left eye was the same silver color of Osiris'. However, his right eye was golden yellow, making his appearance very off balance. He held his gaze with me for only a second before swiftly turning his back on me.

I made my way to them. As I got closer I heard the boy whispering to Anubis, "Don't look now but I think a human is watching us." Rubbing his neck, Anubis glanced at me. His face was blank, but at the sight of me some relief showed through.

"It's okay. She's with me."

The boy looked stunned. His eyes spun back to me, appraising me with speculation. Up close, this boy looked like a super model. Besides his handsome face that seemed to be a common trait with gods, he was dressed in tight fitting clothes that showed off his muscle. His hair was a bit long, but was cut with many choppy layers that looked very stylish. Unlike Anubis and I, who keep our amulets under our shirt, the chain around this boy's neck showed off his amulets. He had three. Two were the same as mine; the amulets of Thoth and Osiris. The other was the eye of Horus. Eye of Horus…

"You're not Horus, are you?" I asked.

The boy shared the same look of surprise with me as he had given to Anubis before. "Have we… met?" he asked.

I shook my head as Anubis said, "Nakia, this is my little brother, Horus."

"Who you calling little?" he snapped quickly at Anubis. Without waiting for a response, he turned to me, all anger and speculation gone from his face. Instead, he smiled at me as though I was someone he had been excited to see. "Nice to meet ya! Nakia, is it?" He held out his hand for a hand shake, but it was more like clenching hands than shaking. Before I could reply, he was back to badgering Anubis. Horus had his arm around his should in a strong grip as he spoke.

"Never thought I would run into you here. What've you been up to? I see you still look like a total zombie."

He did, in fact, look like a zombie. Whatever emotion he would be expressing now was entirely absent. Anubis was half-heartedly trying to get out of Horus' hold but gave up when he made a stronger grip. Anubis monotonously said, "I'm still looking for my heart, as usual. Why are you here?"

"I just got done meeting Wadjet at Hachiko. She left to follow a lead on Set. I've got some free time before she gets back to me. We should hang out!"

"That's fine. Nakia's here to do some shopping."

"Really?" Horus replied turning to me. "Whatcha buying?"

"Umm, a portable handheld…" I said unsure if he shared the same ignorance to electronics as the other gods I've met. He did seem to stop to think this over, but surprised me with his response.

"Ever thought of how you'll charge it?"

"….. Aw crap…" I had not thought about it, but now it seemed obvious. The boat had no outlets at all.

Horus grinned at my crestfallen expression and patted my shoulder. "There, there. It's a good thing I found ya. I can help you get whatcha need."

We set out into the city. Horus ended up being a lot of help. Not only did he find a solar panel for me, but he seemed to know which store to buy them, as well as every electronic store in the area. I soon found myself with a touch tablet that thankfully had an English setting.

The rest of the afternoon we spent browsing other stores. Horus was an easy person to get along with. Although he was a bit arrogant and overly charismatic, he was very kind and always courteous. I also noticed that he had a sort of admiration toward Anubis. He hung on to his every word and if Anubis told him to do something, even to shut up, he did so without question. Horus was enthusiastically determined to cheer up Anubis, which seemed fruitless with how unemotional he had been since coming to Tokyo. Slowly, however, Horus managed to draw out Anubis' old smile. This surprised Horus more so than me. He froze the first time Anubis smiled. A few moments later, though, he looked very proud of himself.

As the sky changed with the approaching night, Horus led us to a place to eat. As we walked, Horus was excitedly talking to Anubis about the last time he 'pounded' Set. " –and I thought I was gonna lose to him this time, so I just threw caution out the window and used my last bit of power to –" Anubis was rubbing his neck again listening quietly. Horus had nearly choked Anubis earlier with a gold necktie he had to try on for 'old-time's sake'. Paws had stuck by my side the whole day. He didn't seem to approve of Horus.

"By the way," Horus said after finishing his tale, "why is Nakia keeping you company if you don't mind me asking?"

"She has been helping me find my canopic jars. She can sense them," Anubis replied.

"You don't say…" Horus scrutinized me. "You're pretty brave to be hanging around us gods."

I shrugged. "Not really brave, just stubborn."

He barked a laugh. In an instant his attention was back to Anubis as though I had just disintegrated. "So how many you got back now?"

"Five."

"Awesome! So you've had interest and confusion. What new ones ya got?"

Anubis stared into the sky as he used his fingers to count the jars. "There was those two. Then several years ago I got my sadness. A month ago Bitou led me to Nakia and another jar with my happiness. And just last week she found my guilt."

At the last remark Horus busted into a laughing fit. I glared incredulously at him surprised by his rude reaction. Anubis also seemed taken aback by him. After some time, Horus finally composed himself enough to speak.

"You finally got your guilt back… ha ha… I guess your eatin' your heart both ways now, huh?" At this Anubis' hastily avoided looking at Horus.

"What do you mean 'eating his heart in both ways'?" I asked.

Anubis started to say, "It's an expression from Egypt that means –" but was cut off by Horus exclaiming, "Oh! You haven't told her the story about the first jar you found, did ya?"

Anubis, who had been walking between Horus and me, was yanked away. Horus took over his position throwing an arm around me. I stiffened. I felt very uncomfortable being so close to someone I had just met. Horus was very unaware of my discomfort, looking at me eagerly with his silver and gold eyes.

"I can't believe he hasn't told you. It's hilarious! So where should I start?"

"Why are you telling her? You weren't even there."

"Okay, so it was during sometime in the 1940's," Horus started, completely ignoring Anubis. "Back then he hadn't even bothered to look for his heart. If ya could believe it, he was more of a zombie than he is now. But one day he got lucky and stumbled on one. Problem was he had no idea what to do with it.

"Now, back in the old days in Egypt, we would say a person who was overcome with guilt was eating their own heart. So our genius Anubis here," he gave him a grin that was struggling to hold back a laugh. Anubis just stared blankly ahead. "–he thinks, 'Well, if I eat my heart then I'll feel guilt.' So he ate the piece of his heart."

Horus couldn't hold it in anymore and went into another fit of laughter. It didn't strike me as being so funny. The term 'eating you heart' was new and very strange. Nonetheless, hearing this bit of Anubis' history was interesting so I gave an appreciative smile to Horus.

Horus, still half laughing, went on saying, "But that's not all. After that, he of course didn't feel any guilt, just curiosity to why he wasn't feeling guilty. And when you have a question you ask Thoth, right? So he goes to the duat, okay, and after never speaking to him for almost half a century he says, 'I ate my heart, but why don't I feel any guilt?'"

At this, Horus was too overcome with roars of laughter. I looked over his bent forward back at Anubis and asked, "How did Thoth react?"

Without a trace of emotion in his face or voice he replied, "Much the same as Horus. It took almost five years for him to stop laughing at the sight of me. Speaking of Thoth," he said as he pulled a still laughing Horus upright, "I have a message from him."

Whipping the tears from his eyes, Horus said, "Really? What about?"

"He says the next time he sees you, you will endure his wrath."

"His wrath? For what?" he asked looking puzzled.

"For blowing up a library or something."

"Oh yeah," Horus exclaimed. "I guess he would be mad about that, but I couldn't stop myself once the idea popped into my head. He has no way of knowing I had thought it up, though. I made sure—"

"I told him it was probably you," Anubis said blankly.

The smile slipped from his face. "You told him?" he asked without masking the hurt in his tone. The look of disappointment mingled with surprise told me that this was not something Anubis would normally do. Anubis, however, didn't react at all to the change in Horus' mood. "Yeah. He threw something at my head thinking it was me. I told him it was something you would think up."

Horus looked away from him now, glaring at the sidewalk. "I can't believe you told him! I thought we had a thing going about keeping each other out of trouble. I trusted you." Then he sighed and added bitterly, "But I guess you can't trust me at all anymore. Not without your heart." He kicked a rock and it flew ahead and out of sight. An awkward silence settled with our walk. I was at a loss wanting to ease Horus' temper but not wanting to intrude into their problems. The silence was finally broken by Anubis saying softly, "Sorry."

We both looked at him. The mask of indifference was gone. In its place was an expression I had grown familiar with over the past weeks. Horus seemed at a loss of what to say. His surprise changed into a sympathetic but defeated smile. For a fleeting moment I was reminded of Osiris.

"Hey, no problem. He would have found out eventually anyway, the know-it-all. Look, I see the place ahead. See?" He pointed to one of the many signs hanging from above. "It's that blue sign there. Why don't ya go ahead and get us a table? I need to pick up something."

Without a word, Anubis continued to the restaurant. I made to follow him, but Horus grabbed me by the wrist. "Why don't ya come with me?" He led me into a small convenience store. I looked over my shoulder at the door and caught sight of Paws growling resentfully and trotting after Anubis. Horus went straight to the counter where the cashier welcomed him. "Could I have 5 boxes of the Hope Super Lights, please?"

The cashier went behind a back door out of sight. I asked, "Do you smoke?"

He laughed. "From time to time, but these aren't for me. I happen to know someone who would kill for these cigarettes and I need a favor." He had several yen bills he was turning in his hand. With a twist they turned into leaves and, another twist, back into bills. Horus seemed to be quietly contemplating before he carefully said, "I didn't have to pick these up yet, but I wanted a chance to talk to you. Well, warn you really."

"Warn me of what?" I asked.

"How do I say it? You should be careful with Anubis as you get more pieces of his heart."

I crossed my arms. "I think I can handle Anubis, thanks."

"See?" he exclaimed pointing at me. "That's exactly what I mean. Ya have a bit of a temper and, don't get me wrong, I love a woman with some bite in her, but you don't know Anubis like I do. I just have this horrible feeling that Anubis is going to accidently kill you down the road."

Stunned, I stared incredulously before managing to ask, "Has he killed other people by accident before?"

"Well, no, but he's never kept humans with him before either." He glanced away from his money at me. At the sight of my expression he raised his hands apologetically. "Hey, don't think too much on it. It's not like he's a crazy murderer like Sekhmet or something. Just watch his temper when he gets it back. Here." He started rummaging in his pocket. He pulled out something small and held it out for me to see. Immediately I recognized it as the Eye of Horus. The charm was all silver except for the eye which was gold.

"I'll keep an eye on you." Without any modesty, he pulled the chain of my necklace from under my shirt. It only took him a second to add it to my chain, his hands hiding how he had attached the amulet without disconnecting the chain. He smirked as he pulled away to admire his new addition. "Now we match. Wish I had dad's amulet in silver. Ivory is so tacky."

"What does it do?" I asked as I examined the new amulet.

"That, my dear, has very powerful protective magic. If you feel it grow hot, it means that danger is near, and that includes over temperamental jackals. It can block some magic, but not all, so don't get overconfident wearing that."

"I won't. Thanks. So Anubis has a bad temper, huh?"

"Nasty temper. It's just like with dogs, though. If you provoke them, they will bite you. Treat them kindly, and they can be quite lovable. Not that you should treat him like a dog. I've been trying to teach him to roll over for a long time but he won't do it." He chuckled with a distant look.

I eyed him doubtfully. "You tell me not to provoke him, yet I highly doubt choking him with neckties and telling him to roll over wouldn't do it."

"That's different. For one, I'm immortal so I can take a bite or two. Second, he happens to be very loyal to me. Well, okay, he isn't now but he will be once his hearts whole again." He looked sadly out the window. I started to wonder why it was taking the clerk so long.

As Horus had his mind elsewhere, I thought of Horus' shock at Anubis ratting him out to Thoth. I remembered that in that moment in Thoth's office the only emotion he showed was the pain of having a stapler thrown at his head. It was strange to think that that event would have been different had he been himself. I wondered what other thing may have happened differently if Anubis had his trust. I couldn't imagine it, which only confirmed how little I knew him, as Horus had said. For all I knew, I thought gravely, nothing would have changed because Anubis had no reason to put his trust in me.

I jumped when Horus suddenly spoke in the middle of my thoughts. He had turned to stare at me more seriously than I've seen him. "You have to get his heart back, Nakia. It's just not right that he has to live like this. Without you, it may take him several more centuries to get it back. Keep yourself alive, okay?"

"Of course."

He focused on me for another second, then went back to grinning, all the tension of the moment dissipated. "Good. That's all I wanted to say. He got lucky when he found ya. I bet we can expect Anubis to be back to normal within a couple of years. A decade at most."

Horus patted me on the back. He looked up at the back door half a second before the clerk emerged. "I'm sorry for the wait, sir. I managed to find the last boxes we have."

"It's no problem. Your timing is perfect, actually," he replied beaming. As he paid for the cigars, I had a feeling that Horus wasn't surprised the cashier's timing allowed him to say everything he wanted. As he pocketed his change, he said with enthusiasm, "Let's not keep Anubis waiting. Just wait till ya see where we're eating. This is gonna be hilarious."

Without further ado, he quickly left the store without a second glance. Curious, I followed at my own pace wondering what 'hilarious' thing had him so excited. I was several feet from the door when, for a second time, someone caught me by the wrist. "Why don't you stay with me a moment?" asked a boy's voice behind me. I wheeled around.

I quickly snatched my hand away at the sight of Amun. He was watching me with that same haughty smile he always wears. Angry and fearful, I covered my mouth with my hands. He laughed at me. "Did I scare you? Trust me; the last thing on my mind was kissing you. I'm not a pervert, after all."

I glared at him, but lowered my hands to retort, "I doubt that. You seemed perfectly comfortable molesting Anubis at Machu Pichu."

"Ah, but it's more amusing when they can't see you. It was quite worth it to see the look on your face."

"I'm leaving." I turned away despite not wanting my back to him. I walked straight to the automatic doors, but they didn't open to my approach. Perplexed, I tried to pull the door open, but it wouldn't budge. I rounded on Amun. "Open the door."

He chuckled. "You should ask someone who works here." He leaned against a shelf, watching me. His hair looked whiter under the florescent lighting than the times I had seen it outdoors. I was breathing heavy as though I had been running laps. With more volume than necessary I asked, "Why are you here? In the neighborhood again?"

"Not at all. I found our last encounter so amusing I've decided to follow you." He smirked at my appalled expression, and continued, "I didn't have to come here, but I wanted a chance to talk to you. Well, warn you really."

"Don't mess with me," I said through gritted teeth.

He wore a fake expression of hurt. "I'm being very serious. You need to be more careful. There are other gods other than Anubis who have nasty tempers."

"If I get on your nerves so much, you should just leave me alone."

"I was talking about Horus the Child, actually," Amun replied indifferently. He stepped towards me and I instinctively covered my mouth once again. Amun, however, quickly reached into my bag and snatched my new tablet from it. He turned it around in his hands observing it with little interest. "You're very talented at getting other gods to give you gifts. Too bad Horus' gift won't be much help to you now. He can't protect you from what he can't see."

He glanced at my amulet and annoyance flashed on his face. It was the first time I had seen Amun with any sort of unhappy expression. But as quickly as it came, it was gone. He smirked at me. "Sorry to break the news to you, but its better that you don't live under the illusion that that little trinket will make you safer." He threw the tablet to me and I quickly caught it.

"Watch it!"

"So sorry. I forgot those things are as fragile as mortals."

Annoyed, stuffing my tablet away, I asked, "Is that what you wanted to warn me about? That you're impervious to the Eye of Horus?"

"You could hardly count that as a warning. If you dropped the hostility for a second you would realize that I am only trying to be helpful."

"Helpful? You made me relive the last moments of a dying man!"

"Which was such an enlightening experience. You were under the terrible impression that the Incans were amazing. And now you're probably thinking that Horus the Child is a loving, doting brother."

"What does it matter to you what I think of Horus?" I asked contemptuously.

His grin broadened. "You don't know Horus like I do. All you see is what is on the surface, but it's crucial that you learn to look deeper than that."

"Says you."

"Precisely. If you can't do this, then you'll never understand why Anubis lost his heart." He laughed at my stunned face. "Peaked your interest, did I? You should take my advice then. I won't keep you from your dinner, though." He waved his hand and the doors behind me slid open. "There. You can go, but you would be wise to hear what I have to say."

I started backing to the door. "I'm not interested in what you have to say."

He crossed his arms and gave me a vicious smile. "You're ignorance is even worse than that stupid jackal's. At least he has his heart being ripped out as an excuse."

I walked the distance I had backed away in two long strides. Without thinking, my mind red with rage, I swung my hand at his face. It never made contact. He caught my wrist and his eyes glowed with satisfaction.

"Temper, temper," he whispered as you took my hand to his lips. The world turned black and I lost awareness of myself. The last thing I felt before the darkness lifted

is my raging desire to kill Anubis.


	9. Anubis Suffers from a Lost Bet

**Chapter 9: Anubis Suffers from a Lost Bet**

I hate him. I hate every single thing about him. I hate the look of him, those eyes that look at me with indifference and his hair the color of those beastly jackals. I hate the way he walks, never looking at anyone like he's better than them. And now I despise him because he won't fight back.

Ra is traveling high above us, but I don't care what he sees. The desert is sweltering, but this does not bother me. The heat from the sun only strengthens me. But the humid air is quickly drying the blood covering me. I can hear the dried blood crinkling in my hair as the wind gusts. I clutch my scimitar closer to me as I glare at the figure crippled on the ground.

The robes he's wearing were once white, but they are now black with blood. A wound to the head obscures half his face. In his deeper wounds the sun reflects light on the gold bones that are now exposed. A dark puddle is growing under him, a small sea within the sand. He will not move, not even to stand. I know he isn't dead; he should have plenty of strength left. He has given up on showing any dignity. He will only sit there like a rag doll with no life.

"FIGHT ME!" I shout raising my dirtied blade at him. He does not move, as though he does not hear me. I run at him, slashing my scimitar at his chest. A new cut joins the others, his ribs glittering in the sun. He falls to the ground. He watches me, detached, uncaring, yet determined. I hate him!

"Get up!" I yell. "Get up, you dog!" I kick him. He rolls a couple of times before coming to a stop. Sand now coats his wounds, but still he won't move. He lies on the ground watching me. Furious, I shout, "You will have to fight me sooner or later!"

"No." He answers simple, no trace of anger or suffering in him. Fire starts to spit of me. I want him to suffer, to roar in rage and feel twice the anguish I feel. But he does not react, nor does he even defend himself. No matter how much of his blood I spill, it does not affect him.

My rage mounting, I plead, "Why? Why won't you fight me?"

"I, promised her…" he says gasping from the blood in his lungs. "I promised Isis… I would, protect Osiris… I will not, fight his son…"

"Shut up!" I blast him with fire and sand explodes around him. "Don't you dare speak of him like you care! I don't want to hear it!" I walk through the blood and smoldered sand to his crumpled and smoking body. I press my foot firmly to his face. "It's your fault! He's dead because of you!"

I lift my scimitar above my head as I bellow at him, "If you hadn't been born, none of this would have happened!"

* * *

"NOOOOO!"

My rage vanished in an instant to be replaced with horror and fear. I desperately threw the scimitar in my hand. When I didn't hear it hit the ground, I realized I didn't have it anymore. In my anguish I thought, 'I already stabbed him.' But I didn't see Anubis on the ground before me, or my scimitar. The floor wasn't even sand but white tile. I couldn't figure out how I got to this place. This place doesn't belong in Egypt. Even my clothes were completely different and no longer covered in sand and blood. What just happened?

"Hey, Nakia! You still here?" shouted a familiar voice behind me. When I turned around, I thought for a moment that I was looking into a mirror. However, the reflection wasn't standing still as I was. He was coming in through the door. Leaning on the wall be the door was Amun, smirking, his eyes alight with amusement. With a jolt I realized I wasn't Horus. Amun had tricked me again.

"Are you okay?" Horus asked his brows furrowed with concern. I violently jumped when he placed a hand on my shoulder. I saw blood spilling onto the sand. There was so much that the sand didn't absorb it making a black lake around Anubis. Without realizing it, I had moved away from Horus. He watched me bewildered, his hand still extended to me. Amun was laughing behind him, his eyes still trained on me. My heart was pounding, but I didn't know if it was from the burning rage from before or my own panic. Half of my mind was still in Egypt in the identity of the boy standing in front of me. He said even more anxiously, "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

"Give me a sec…" I mumbled. As I turned my back to them, I remembered a lifetime ago Amun had said, "He can't protect you from what he can't see." I probably shouldn't turn my back to him, but I was in such a confused panic that I was beyond caring. I closed my eyes and started a familiar mantra in my head. My name is Nakia. I'm a teenage girl. I'm traveling with Anubis who gave me my name. I'm in Japan, not Egypt. Horus the Child isn't me. He's standing behind me. We were… what? But I couldn't remember why we came here. I vaguely remembered Amun stopping me. The only words that stuck to me were '… I wanted a chance to talk to you. Well, warn you really.' I wasn't sure who had said it. At the very least, I knew who I was now. I turned back around to face the baffled Horus and asked, "What were we doing again?"

Taken aback, he replied, "We were going to eat, remember? Anubis already has a table for us."

"Right. That's right. We should get going then," I said, not meeting his eyes. I walked past him to the door. Amun chuckled as I passed.

"Don't forget to watch your temper," he said. I glared at him but did nothing. Hurrying out of the store, I thought I heard him say, "Good girl," but I wasn't sure. Horus quickly caught up but he kept a bit of distance from me.

"Hey! What's up? You look like you've looked death in the eyes." At my shocked expression he quickly added, "It's just an expression! I didn't mean you have."

"No, it's nothing. I was just spacing out." I looked over my shoulder and saw Amun still watching me from a distance. I quickly turned back. "So, what kind of restaurant is this place?"

He looked at me uncertainly, probably finding my subject change very unconvincing. "It's this sushi place I want to with Wadjet once. You'll see in a second. Look, are you sure you're okay? I don't want Anubis to think I did anything to you."

"I'm fine. Really. I'm just hungry." I quickened my pace horribly away of how little of an appetite I had.

A single Japanese character glowed on the door. Inside, a hostess greeted us. "Welcome! Will that be a table for two?"

With a glowing smile, Horus replied, "We already have a table. It should be under the name 'Andrew Darnell'."

My heart stopped a beat at the name. I had forgotten that once upon a time ago Anubis had used Andy's name before. It surprised me to hear it again so suddenly from a person I had just met. The hostess gaped for a moment then blushed furiously.

"O-o-of course! Anoru… I mean, Andoruu Daneru! This way…"

She let us through the restaurant, her shoulders slumped forward. I saw the back of Anubis' messy hair as we approached. I took the seat across from him next to Paws who was sitting in his seat in a very human-like manner. Paws glared at Horus as he sat next to Anubis. The hostess stammered, "Y-y-your waiter will b-be with you in a moment," and slumped away.

I started scratching behind Paws ears. Form the corner of my eye I saw Anubis glance at me and then do a double take. I didn't look his way but continued petting Paws. "What happened to you?"

"That's what I've been askin'," Horus said.

"Nothing," I replied keeping my eyes down.

"I've seen corpses with more color than you."

With a clip in my voice, I retorted, "You sure know how to flatter a girl."

Horus snorted. The grin quickly vanished at the sight of Anubis staring him down. "What did you do?" he asked.

"I'm insulted!" said Horus. "I didn't do anything at all! She was out of my sight for two minutes. When I found her she already looked as pale as you."

"Just drop it," I said irritably. They both looked at me but said nothing. A waitress came to our table, a shy smile on her face. "Welcome to Eien! My name is Naganishi Tsuyu and I'll be your… Ma'am! We don't allow pets here!"

"Huh?" I was so used to Paws being ignored that I was surprised to see her staring directly at him. I looked to Anubis, but he seemed as confused as me. Understanding dawned on him and he stood up.

"Sorry, I forgot. Come here, Paws." Paws leaped over my lap and followed him out the door. I heard Horus murmur, "Oops," under his breath. He looked like he understood too. The waitress overcame her shock quickly and turned her back to me, her eyes for only Horus.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" she asked.

"Three teas, I think. Is that fine with you, Nakia?"

"Sure." Without Paws to occupy me, I was now playing with my napkin. The waitress eyes darted between Horus and me with a suspicious look. My napkin suddenly became very fascinating.

"I'll bring your drinks in a moment."

Her departure left us in an uneasy silence. I didn't take my eyes way from my napkin. I didn't want to think about what Amun forced me to live through, but I couldn't rid the image of Anubis' mutilated body from my mind. I had, I mean, Horus had thought Anubis was to blame for Osiris' death, but how would that be true? I remembered the legend by heart, having it told to me so much as a child.

There was a party for Osiris. As a gift for his brother, Set made him a lavish box that only his brother could fit into perfectly. Many other gods tried, but the box was not the right size for them. Osiris was impressed and wanted to see if it would only fit him. Once inside the box, it encased him in chains and he was killed. It had all been a trap created by Set.

As far as I knew, Anubis was never mentioned in that story. I didn't even know if he had been there that day. So why had Horus said that Anubis' very existence caused Osiris' death? What was Anubis' crime to deserve such brutality? And how was it that Horus came to treat Anubis with such adoration?

"Why do you care about Anubis so much, Horus?" The words came out of me before I was aware I was saying them, but it was too late to take it back. I glanced up and found Horus' looking a bit stunned but settled into a look of amused contemplation.

"Hmm… well, it's the least I can do. He forgives me for all the stupid stuff I do. I owe him that much." He grinned looking over my shoulder. "Welcome back! I was just telling Nakia how amazing you are!" Anubis had taken a hold of the chair next to Horus, but upon hearing this declaration he settled into a seat next to me. "Now that wasn't very nice. I was being honest, or have you also forgotten how to react to a compliment?"

"Maybe I have," Anubis said indifferently. "My neck still feels rather sore."

Horus rolled his eyes. I asked Anubis, "Where's Paws?"

"He's waiting outside. I think by the time we're done he'll have a good plan on how to get his teeth into Horus."

"I can take the pup," Horus said with a smirk.

"Here are your drinks," the waitress said with a sweet voice shoving my drink to me more forcefully than the others. "Are you ready to order?"

"Allow me to order for us." Horus went on to give a long list of food for us. The waitress seemed quite pleased to have Horus' full attention. I was also watching Horus. I didn't like what Horus had done to Anubis and I didn't understand his reasons for it. It made me angry to think of it, but Horus had never shown anything to prove he still harbored those feelings towards Anubis. Anubis seemed to have forgiven Horus for whatever happened between them. If Anubis could forgive him, I should as well. I didn't want to hold a grudge over something that didn't have to do with me. There was even the possibility that it was all made up. I wouldn't put it past Amun and his twisted way of 'helping'.

The waitress bowed and left. Horus was chuckling to himself. His face wore the same mischievous look he had at the convenience store. Anubis looked over appearing as suspicious as I was. "What are you laughing about?" he asked.

"Hmm?" Horus raised his eyebrows looking sweetly innocent. "You'll see. It's not a big deal. So, Nakia, I can't help but notice that you're Caucasian."

"And I can't help but notice you're Egyptian, but I don't see why that's so important."

"I just want to get to know you. So what country are ya from?"

I looked at him suspiciously, but slowly replied, "America…"

Horus broke into a triumphant grin. "Excellent! Just what I was hoping for." He straightened his back and folded his fingers in front of him. He gave the appearance of a man in a powerful position about to make a vital proclamation. "I would like your assistance in a very important matter."

"No," I answered immediately.

Horus' stately façade disappeared in an instant. "I haven't even told ya what it is."

"Don't get me involved. I've heard enough about the pranks you pull. I don't want anything to do with it."

"Oh, please. The library thing was just a joke. I'm tryin' to help Thoth get a sense of humor."

"Good luck with that," Anubis said through his tea.

"You'll be next," Horus replied eyeing him. He resumed his regal demeanor and addressed me. "Actually, what I need help with is strictly work related. You see, I've been thinking in a couple of decades I would like to become the president of your country."

"You can't be serious."

"Of course I am. My position as a god is a ruler of men and that requires me to –"

"You can't," I interrupted. "You have to be a U.S. born citizen to run for president."

He waved this away. "Not a problem. I'll try and convince Seshat or someone to forge some docu–"

"She won't help you," Anubis interrupted this time. "You need to stop trying to get her to help you all the time. Sooner or later she's going to feed you to Apep."

"Oh please," Horus snorted. "She wouldn't go that far, maybe. She'll probably throw me out of the one of her libraries again."

"Who's Apep?" I asked.

"He's a scary snake that lives in the duat," he said in a voice like a boy telling a spooky story over a campfire. "He nearly destroyed the Earth at one time. Anyway, there’s always Thoth. They’re practically the same–"

"Thoth won't help you either –"

"I never said I'd ask Thoth," Horus said over Anubis. "I'll figure it out, but I can't do anything till I have an alias. Now, Nakia," he turned back to me looking a bit frustrated but otherwise professional, "this is where you come in. I need a good name to use and, being from America, I'm sure you could come up with one that will one day be spoken of in great reverence. I'll even do a favor for you in return."

"Horus, don't pressure her into something she –"

"I'll do it."

Okay, I know I said I would forgive him, but that didn't mean a tiny part of me didn't want some revenge for what he did. If he likes to play pranks, then I would play his game and pull one on him. And I also couldn't imagine what it would be like to turn on a TV and see Horus on it, speaking at a podium with the presidential seal on it. One bogus name for him to run under didn't seem like that bad of an idea.

I quickly added, "You'll have to wait till I come up with one, though. I can't think of a good one on the spot."

"Of course!" he exclaimed with zeal. "It should be a name that's given much consideration. I can wait. If there is anything I have plenty of it's time. Now, is there anything I can do in return?"

"Umm…" I sipped at my tea. It may have been the topic over names that brought it to mind; a question I've wanted answered for a while. My own face revealed a mischievous smile to rival Horus. "Actually, there is something you could do for me."

I beckoned him with a finger. Curious, he leaned forward and I whispered my request in his ear. As soon as I finished, he burst out laughing, pounding his fist on the table. Everyone at the tables around us was staring. "What?" Anubis asked looking between Horus and me.

Thankfully, Horus ignored him. "Sure, I can do that. You're bound to find out eventually, anyway. Let's see, who first? I guess I'll tell you his so he won't try and stop me." Horus stole a glance at Anubis as he said 'his'. Anubis' confusion deepened.

"What are you talking about?"

Horus once again ignored him and leaned over to me. He whispered in my ear. It was my turn to draw the restaurant's attention on me. The corners of my eyes burned as I laughed.

"Are you going to tell me what you're talking about?"

Through my laughing I said, "Anpu! Your lesser name's Anpu! That's hilarious!" I covered my face knowing how red I must be.

"Horus…" It was hard to tell how he was feeling, but Horus understood better than me.

"Don't start complaining. Look how happy I've made her." Horus was chuckling at me. Anubis just shook his head and stared away from us. "Are you ready for Thoth's?"

"Thoth's lesser name isn't even that strange," Anubis said without looking back.

"It isn't?" I asked regaining my composure.

Horus replied, "Not in Egyptian. But that know-it-all speaks way too many languages. He was bound to find a language his name sounds funny in. So, ya ready to hear it?" I nodded sitting up straighter. "His lesser name's Djehuti."

Once again I was overcome with laughter. I heard Horus say to Anubis, "I guess his name sounds strange in her language."

Our food came as I recovered myself. Horus had ordered enough food for twice our number. The majority of it, however, was…

"Sushi?"

"Yeah, I told ya earlier this was a sushi restaurant," Horus said while piling his plate. "Ever had it before, Nakia?"

"No. I don't even know how to eat with these things," I said holding up my chopsticks.

"Here." Anubis reached over and started positioning my hand to fit the two sticks. "Hold this one here."

"When did you learn to eat with chopsticks?"

"We learned this centuries ago," Horus answered with an air of unimportance. "Here, Anubis." There was a glint in his eyes as he pulled over a large plate. "I got you raw meat, your favorite." He stacked the plate up with thinly sliced fish. I couldn't manage to pick anything up so I watched what Horus was up to. He saw my watching them, help up a finger to be quiet and winked at me.

I waited while Anubis, completely unaware, ate a piece of raw fish. Horus scooted to the edge of his seat. I didn't know what I should be looking for, but nothing happened. Horus face sunk when Anubis ate a second piece.

"Anubis, you know that's fish, right?" Anubis nodded to him, eating another piece with a blank expression.

"I thought you had a prank set up for Anubis." I picked up my chopsticks and tried to get them positioned right.

"I did! Anubis hates fish! I can't believe you're eating' that." Horus watched Anubis in disgust. Anubis paid him no attention and kept eating.

"You know, Horus, I don't think Anubis can hate yet," I told him while one of my chopsticks fell out of my hand.

Horus contemplated this. He quickly turned on Anubis snapping his fingers in front of him. "Hey, come back to Earth, zombie boy. You like me, right?"

"Yeah," he replied.

Horus smirked but continued. "You like Thoth?"

"Yeah…"

"How about Ptah?"

"Pita? Like the bread?" I asked.

"Don't interrupt! Do you like Ptah, Anubis?"

He shrugged. "A bit, yeah."

"And do you like Bastet?"

"I…," He faltered and his eyes went glassy. "I don't know."

Horus slumped back in his seat nodding. "Well, that settles it. Man, it's no fun to tease you if you don't react right!" He slouched over his food very put out.

I managed to get a piece of sushi in my mouth without dropping it. One bite into it and I was gagging. I spit it out quickly and grabbed my tea to wash out the taste. Horus sniggered and said triumphantly, "Now there's the reaction I was looking for!"

* * *

Paws bounded to me the moment we stepped out of the restaurant. "Hey, boy. I got some grilled meat for you." Paws sniffed the bag and started whining in hunger. Behind me, Horus and Anubis were discussing our traveling arrangements. The sky became dark while we ate. The city glowed with the light of colorful store signs and street lamps. Despite the change of hour, many people were still walking the sidewalks. Business men dashed in a hurry, a motorcycle roared by and someone's phone started ringing nearby. Does it ever get quiet here?

As though answering my question, Horus laughter boomed behind me. "You really need a sense of humor. Its fine, I was kidding. Just lay off my stuff in the cargo and you can use it all you like. Hey, is that you're phone that's ringing, Nakia?"

The ringing I heard earlier had grown louder as we walked. I looked around but I didn't see anyone who was searching for a cell phone. "I don't have a phone. Where's it coming from?"

"Over there!" Horus said. He pointed at a sign that read '電話' as though that was supposed to mean anything. He ran to the small stand that glowed fluorescent blue in the night. I ran over and realized it was a public telephone. It continued to ring. "I think it's for me," and without any pause, Horus took the phone off the receiver.

"How could you possibly know that?" I asked.

He put a finger to his lips and answered, "Hello? Horus speaking." He paused for a long moment. I jumped when he exclaimed, "You found him? You're amazing, Wadjet! Have I ever told you how much I love you?"

He continued to give the phone many praises. I asked Anubis, "Who's Wadjet, anyway?"

"She's the Eye of Horus," he said looking rather bored. "Horus is pretty close to her, but it's mostly for her knack at finding Set's hiding spots."

"Yeah, I'm coming' right now. Don't start without me, alright? See ya soon!" He hung up looking giddy with excitement. He swept to us and gave us both a one armed hug. Once again images of Anubis lying tattered and broken on the desert floor flashed in my eyes. I concentrated on resisting the urge to push him away. He finally let go and beamed at us. "Well, I have to get goin'. I've gotta date with our dear Uncle Set. Don't disappear for another decade, 'kay big brother?"

"I suppose," he said airily looking glad Horus let go. Horus ran off, shouting as he did, "Good luck with your search guys! I'll see ya around! And don't forget our promise, Nakia!" He rounded a corner out of sight. Several seconds and a large bird flew out of the alley and into the dark night.

"Let's get to the boat. I need some rest," Anubis said. I took one last glance behind me and followed.

The train ride back was very quiet, but we finally arrived. Once on board the boat, the solar panel Horus had helped me choose looked glaringly out of place against all the polished wood. I wanted to get in bed, but I decided I should figure out how this thing works so I could get it started for sunrise.

"Are you not going to bed?" Anubis asked as I walked past him.

"I'll be there in a bit." The door creaked slightly and I heard the jingle of Paws collar before the door snapped shut. The single panel was thin and about as tall as me. It had already been mounted to the rooftop, a cord trailing to a large box by my feet. On it was a sticky note with a message written in Egyptian hieroglyphs. I frowned at it and stuffed it in my pocket.

The generator didn't have much to it. The only thing I couldn't get was why it said it was already full to capacity. The person we bought from said it would take a week of good weather to completely charge it. I wondered if the display was glitched when I heard Paws barking behind me. He was running to me as I turned to him. "Hey, I thought you went to bed with Anubis." He continued to bark at me. "What's wrong?"

"Young lady!" said a voice beside me. I looked around not sure where the voice came from. Then, over the ledge, I saw a small boy floating on a white cloud outside the boat. It was as though someone had spilled a truck full of white-out on the kid. His skin was pale, but still looked dark against his white curly hair. He had the same silver eyes as Osiris, but they looked much colder on him. His robes were white but decorated liberally with silver stitching. Moisture was clinging to him in droplets reminding me of grass covered in dew. "I need to speak with Anubis," he called out. "Is he here?"

"Of course. I'll get him."

"Would you invite me in." It wasn't a question, but his sudden appearance had caught me off guard so I wasn't about to argue with him.

"Sure, come in. You can dry off inside."

He landed gracefully in the boat. What I had mistaken as a cloud was actually a thick mist that was pouring off him. It followed him as he walked behind me into our living room. "You can have a seat while I get him," I said gesturing to the couch. He didn't move but only stood in place watching me. After a long, awkward silence, I said, "Right. I'll… I'll get Anubis. One sec…" I crossed the room glad to be away from the boy.

"Anubis!" I shouted down the stairs. I stomped down them and saw his head poke out of his room. "Hey. Someone's here to see you."

"Who is it?"

"No idea, but he looks like a ghost."

He shook his head but followed me up the stairs. When I saw the boy standing and staring from the same spot I left him, I stepped to the side and let Anubis pass me. I glanced at Anubis' face as we entered the room and I did a double take. There for a second I thought Osiris was standing next to me, but I realized it was still Anubis. His eyes were silver again like the night in Brazil he had looked into the moon. If all his hair was black, he would look exactly like his father. When Anubis saw the boy, he tilted his head looking confused.

"Khonsu, why are you here?"

Khonsu rummaged in his pockets as he replied, "I lost a bet." He pulled out a parchment scroll and held it in front of him. The Egyptian writing on it began to glow. "Sorry about this, Anubis."

Several things happened at once. I was pushed to the side. When I hit the ground, I heard a crack and my hand seared in pain. The room went dark but was quickly filled with red light. A sound like a thousand animals crying out filled the room followed by a thud where the stairs were. Gravity suddenly pushed down on me and I felt much heavier than I had before. The lights returned to normal and it was still.

I lifted my head expecting the room to be damaged after what had happened but everything looked untouched. My vision was a bit more blurred than before, but I could still make out everything. I felt my heart plunge into my gut when I saw Anubis was gone. The only ones in the room were me and the boy.

"What did you do to Anubis?" I shouted.

Khonsu looked down at me with distaste. "Isis is in Sydney. She can lift the seal. Tell him that for me." He turned and left the room, the white mist following in his wake.

I stood up, dazed. A slow panic started to creep in, but his last words still rang in my ears. If I was supposed to deliver a message to Anubis, he must still be here. I felt the night's breeze blow in from the open door and with it Paws rushed past me. He started barking frantically at the bottom of the stairs. I followed him.

Anubis was at the bottom, but he was thankfully awake. At first glance, I thought he had black burn marks on him. When I was closer, I saw the black marks were Egyptian writing that looked like they had tattooed on him. The symbols were moving in a spiral over his skin like a black snake slithering in sand. It made me dizzy to look at him too long. Paws was urging him to sit up. He did so reluctantly. He held his hand and saw the words snaking across his skin. "Crap."

"Is it a seal?" I asked him.

"Yeah…"

"That boy said that Isis could lift it. He said she's in Sydney."

He sighed and replied, "I guess there's no other choice. Paws, you know what to do."

Paws whined and prodded him with his muzzle. Anubis gave him a rare smile. He scratched behind his ears as he said, "I'm fine. Go on." Paws ran up the stairs out of sight. When he left, Anubis started pulling off his shirt.

"Is that really necessary?" I exclaimed.

He pulled the shirt over his head and said, "I want to know who did this. Their name should be in the spell."

"I thought you knew who that boy was?"

"That wasn't Khonsu's spell. Gods don't need to write out spells. I think the magician who wrote it was also the one who won a bet with Khonsu." His whole body had the swirling characters blackening his skin. He ran a finger through them whispering as he read.

"Would the magician be human like me?"

"Yes."

"Why would they want to seal your magic?" He didn't answer but continued reading the words on his skin. His fingers stopped on a group of characters inside an oval. He sighed again and abandoned his reading.

"His name's protected, but the phrasing is familiar. Isis may know more when we see her." He passed me up the stairs and I followed. He went to the living room but I slid into the kitchen. Two of my fingers on my right hand were red and swollen. I put them on ice, hissing through my teeth at their tenderness. One handed, I pulled out two popsicles and went back downstairs. I grabbed Anubis' shirt and went off to find him.

He was in the bridge with Paws huddled around the map. I threw his shirt at him. "Please put that back on."

He raised an eyebrow but did what I asked. A trace of a smile pulled at his lips. "You know, back in Egypt I hardly ever wore a shirt."

"I don't care if you ran around naked. It's not modest to undress in front of a girl."

He grimaced slightly. With a sideways glance he asked, "What happened to your hand?"

"I broke some fingers earlier. Wanna help?"

"My magic is sealed, and I can't do healing spells anyway."

"Lucky for you it doesn't take magic to eat a Popsicle." When he stared at me confused I added, "I need the stick inside for a tourniquet."

He took the Popsicle, but instead of eating it, he held it upside-down for Paws to lick at. "If we push it, we can make it to Sydney in a day and a half. Hopefully, Isis will be sticking around for a while."

"What do we do if she's left already?"

"Then we'll go to the duat and see if Thoth can lift it. His knowledge in magic is second only to Isis."

"Wouldn't it be simpler to go and ask him before heading to Australia?"

He paused staring unfocused at the map below him. "I think Khonsu pointed me to Isis for a reason."

"Then it's a trap," I stated crossing my arms.

He shrugged. "Possibly, but we won't know until we find her."

"Wonderful! I was starting to get bored. Walking into a trap sounds like a great time."

With a bit of monotone, Anubis retorted, "Whether you agree or not, we're still going."

"Aye aye, Captain," I said dull taking the drool covered Popsicle as I headed for the door. As I was leaving, I paused and poked my head in the room. "I just worry about walking into something when you can't use magic. Even gods can die."

"I have not forgotten," he said and I left it at that.

* * *

Sydney was colder than I had expected, but Anubis reminded me that it was autumn in this hemisphere of the world. When I wanted to see if the toilet flushed the other way, Anubis gave me a look that made me quickly abandon the idea. Now that we were here, we realized that finding one goddess in this huge city would need a miracle. We had been wondering around for hours not really sure how to go about searching for her. It was oddly nostalgic to be in a city with signs in English. Even names of streets and shops sounded American, but every so often a strange name like 'Woolloomooloo' would pop up.

For the past hour we walked along the many stretches of land along the canal. The boats blew their horns and seagulls cawed as we followed the blue of the ocean. We were walking down a sidewalk lined with hotels and restaurants, but across the street was a park area. Anubis had to call Paws out of trying to escape to the trees. He continued to gaze at the park from Anubis' side. As we reached a curve near the water's edge, a large white building loomed in the distance. The building was so distinct with its many pointed arcs that curved out from the structure there was no mistaking it.

"What happened here?" I exclaimed in astonishment. The Sydney Opera House's usual white appearance was scorched and obscured by the smoke billowing from it. The smoke came from a gaping hole that could have only been caused by an explosion. In the large paved area around the building were fire trucks, police cars, and media buses. Police men stood inside the taped off area. A small crowd huddled around the edges to see the damage and maybe get themselves on TV.

"We should go back," Anubis said. "There's nothing to see here."

"Right…" I was curious but I left with Anubis nonetheless. I gave one last look at the opera house when a glimmer of gold caught my eye. I froze but in seconds I was running toward the crowd.

"Nakia!" I heard Anubis shout but I didn't stop. I weaved through the people, ignoring the pain of my broken fingers as my hand bumped into them. I saw the gold hair again walking from just in front of the police line.

"Horus?" I called and he stopped long enough for me to catch up. "Horus? Oh!" I was stunned when turning around the person was not Horus, yet looked just like him. His skin was dark and he had shining blond hair that contrasted with it. Unlike Horus' hair, it was cut short to the scalp. He looked older as well, and wore a loose tank top with arm holes that ran down the sides showing his chest from behind it. Otherwise, he was the spitting image of Horus. He even had a silver and gold eye. He stared at me just as taken aback as I was. His face was confounded as though he had never seen a teenage girl before.

"Nakia?" I heard Anubis call. He was running to us but, as usual, Paws was the first to catch up. He instantly started growling at the Horus-look-alike. The man smirked at Paws and said, "Think I smell tasty, mutt? Go ahead and take a bite. I dare you."

"Oh. It's you, Uncle Horus," Anubis said among arriving.

"Hey, Anubis," he said in pleasant surprise. "What brings– Jeez! What happened to you?" He looked at the black words scrawling across Anubis' skin with a scowl.

"Khonsu's been gambling again. I got mixed up in it somehow."

"That's a shame," he turned his attention to me, eyeing me with speculation. "I don't believe we've met. How did you know who I am?"

"Oh, I didn't…"

"She mistook you for Little Horus. We met with him a couple of days ago," Anubis answered for me.

He gave me one last look before dismissing my existence and turned to Anubis. His mood rapidly changed from contemplation to delight. "So, what brings you to Australia, Anubis?"

"I need this seal lifted. Khonsu said Isis is in the city."

"You're right there. I was just on my way to meet with her. I got her a present." At this, Horus the Elder shook a plastic bag filled with blackened bits of ripped paper in front of us. "Want to come with me?"

"Thanks," Anubis replied.

Before turning to leave, Horus gave Paws and me a quick glance and added, "You can leave the dog and human behind."

"Why can't I come?" I asked in indignation. Paws barked showing he shared the same question.

Horus looked me down with a look of disgust. "This is a matter between the gods and doesn't involve you. Anubis may keep you as a pet, but that doesn't give you a higher status."

I was about to retort but Anubis held out his arm stopping me. "They both come with me," he commanded.

Horus gritted his teeth looking annoyed. He finally muttered, "Whatever," and walked on. Anubis followed him and I took a spot behind his back.

I was silently fuming as we followed Horus. It was my first time being dismissed by a god for being human. It probably wouldn't be the last time, either. A part of me couldn't help but think he had a point. If Anubis hadn't brought me into this world, I would never have anything to do with the Egyptian gods. But still, it was bad enough that I would have to die some day. He could at least be a little sympathetic about it.

"It's actually a good thing you came," Horus told Anubis as we walked. "Isis was in the duat looking for you."

"Was she?"

"Yeah. We've got a bit of a situation. She seems to think you know something that will help us out. Here." He entered into the Opera Bar and followed a waiter as he escorted us to the dining area sitting against the river. There weren't many people here at this hour. One woman in particular drew my attention. Her black hair was long and curly framing her golden tan skin. One sight of her bright blue eyes and I instantly recognized her. She stood when she saw Horus. "That was quicker than I expected," she said to him.

He smirked to himself. "I got lucky. I brought company, too." He stood back to allow us in her view. At the sight of Anubis', she quickly went to him full of concern.

"Anubis, what happened to you?" she asked as she took his face in her hands.

"Hi, Aunt Isis," was all he said. Isis continued to fuss over him, feeling his forehead and checking his arms. I was taken back to a moment when I had come home covered in bruises and scratched after getting into a fight at school. My mother couldn't seem to stop touching my wounds as she worried over me.

"Who did this to you?" She asked in a more serious tone.

"Khonsu lost a bet and I must have been his wager. Can you lift it?"

She studied the marking swirling on his arm. Her eyes stopped at one of the words and she scowled. "This is a magician's spell."

"I know. It was handwritten."

"I can't lift this myself. You will have to track down the magician that created the spell. Luckily, I may have a clue to who this magician is. Come sit down." She gestured to the table she had been sitting at with a welcoming smile. The others took a seat, but when Isis pulled a chair for me I paused. "I've seen you before in the duat," I said. "Your hair was straight then."

"Yes, I remember passing by you that day. Please sit, Nakia."

She used my name despite having never been introduced, but I sat down without saying anything. Big Horus was glowering at Isis as she sat. "What?" she asked when she saw his face.

"Nothing. I was just thinking you're too nice all the time."

She rolled her eyes. "Did you find anything?"

"Sure did." Horus took out the bag filled with burned paper and held it to her. Isis wasted no time emptying its contents onto the table. Her face took an odd look of concentration. Her hand hovered over the pile and she spoke words I couldn't hear. There was no glowing or strange sound. The scraps of paper merely reassembled themselves into a single sheet. The soot and scorch marks faded revealing Egyptian hieroglyphs written in black ink. I couldn't read a single word of it, but I knew enough that I recognized it as a spell.

"So a magician was behind this after all," Isis said to herself.

"Where did this come from?" Anubis asked.

Horus answered, "I found this in the basement of the Opera House. There was so much debris I had to dig around to find this."

"We've been investigating the explosion that happened there." Isis rummaged through her bag and pulled out a small stack of photographs. They were pictures of the explosion as it happened from different angles. There was something odd about them. Amongst the explosion it looked as though flames took the shape of the same hieroglyphs as those in the spell. "Do you see it?"

Anubis nodded. "Magical remnants."

"Precisely. This tragedy was caused by magic. However, other than me, the only other goddess in the city was Kebechet."

"But you don't suspect her." Anubis gave Isis a hard glare. Isis didn't falter under his gaze, though Horus began to chuckle.

"No. I knew she was only there to collect the dead."

Anubis set down the photo and pulled the spell to himself. It didn't take long for him to read it. "… I know this phrasing."

Isis smiled. "I have a theory about the culprit, but you're the only one who can confirm my suspicion." Anubis looked confused by her statement. Isis leaned forward and fixed him with an intense stare.

"Tell me, Anubis. When was the last time you've seen the immortal magician?"


	10. All Aboard the Chicken Frisbee!

**Chapter 10: All Aboard the Chicken Frisbee!**

The room became tense. Everyone was looking to Anubis waiting for his reply.

"The immortal magician… you mean Se-Osiris?"

Isis nodded.

"I last reaped his soul in Belgium of 1879. The sky was a murky white that day."

I titled my head at the remark about the sky, but Isis seemed unfazed by the pointless remark. "You haven't encountered him in the last century?"

Anubis shrugged his shoulders. "I haven't been performing my duties as much. You should ask Kebechet."

"I have, but she doesn't know how to recognize his soul." The table fell silent.

"Excuse me," I interrupted, "but how can the magician be immortal if he's human?"

"We don't have time for explanations," Horus retorted.

"No, I think it's better if she knows," Isis countered. She turned to her brother and smiled sugary. "Since you're so pressed on time, how about you give us a quick summary?"

Horus looked shocked. His sister's expectant smile made his cheeks burn, whether from anger or embarrassment I couldn't tell. "I'm not good at that sort of stuff. Anubis is the expert on souls."

Isis didn't push Horus but turned to Anubis. "Could you explain then?"

"Yeah." He turned away from them to face me. "You remember what I said about the ba and ka, right?"

"Yeah."

"As you know, it is my duty to ensure the ba and ka of the dead are released. When these two souls reunite in the duat, they join together to form a new type of soul. We call it the ankh.

"An ankh forms naturally in the duat, but not on Earth. Se-Osiris was a powerful magician and sought to live forever. He used his magic to bend nature and force his souls to become an ankh."

"Then how is it that you've reaped his soul if he is immortal"

"He's not immortal as we are," Isis said.

Anubis nodded. "He can die. He has died many times. But I can't send his soul to the duat. His soul is not a perfect ankh. In fact, it is quite grotesque. Something so flawed can't pass into the next life. So he is reborn over and over again."

When I tried to imagine dying over and over, a shiver went down my spine. It was like being the Incan warrior again, but knowing that even after death that suffering would have to be met again. "Why did he do it?"

"In his first life, he was the chief magician for the pharaoh of that time. He was powerful, but there was another magician of Ethiopia who also held power. This magician served under his king, but he was a fool. In the night, he kidnapped the pharaoh and beat him brutally to show his nation had greater power than Egypt.

"Se-Osiris was called upon to protect the pharaoh while he slept so this wouldn't happen again, and it never did. His magical barriers were able to keep the pharaoh safe from the magician."

"I remember when that happened," Isis said. "Thoth was the one who gave Se-Osiris the knowledge to make those barriers, am I right?"

Anubis nodded. "Little Horus begged him for his help for hours. It was annoying."

"Why? What did Little Horus have to do with it?"

"He was the pharaoh."

At this, Big Horus' booming laughter filled the small café. "That guy warped his soul to protect an immortal god? What an idiot!"

"It isn't funny, Horus," Isis said in disapproval. "He did not know my son was serving as pharaoh."

"Which makes him an even greater fool. What's the point of being immortal for someone who will die eventually anyway?"

"Revenge."

Horus stopped laughing. In the deadly silence, Anubis continued. "I can't understand his emotions for wanting revenge, but I know he acted out against the king of Ethiopia. Three times he kidnapped him and beat him during the night. His magician wasn't powerful enough to protect his king, so he went to Egypt to face Se-Osiris. He lost and swore never to harm Egypt again. After that, I'm not sure what else happened. All I know is that 500 years later, Se-Osiris arrived once again to protect another Pharaoh from a magician of Ethiopia."

Anubis sighed and thumbed through the photos. "Now that he has no pharaoh to protect, I don't know what his motives are. He has lived in many parts of the world. If there is a war, I usually find him amongst the remains. I'm not even sure if he still uses magic. He would need a sa for that."

"What's a sa?" I asked before I could stop myself. Horus gave a large sigh and leaned his head back to stare at the ceiling. Isis pretended she couldn't hear him.

"It is a sixth soul only gods have. It is our source of magical power. Since our souls can exist in more than one place, we can lend our sa to a mortal to use. Even a magician is powerless if a god does not lend them their sa."

"Oh yeah," Horus said as he straightened in his chair. "See? I told you Set would be involved in this. I bet that human got a sa from him!"

Isis replied, "I already said it's possible, but we can't rule out that it could be someone else."

"You should get a hold of Little Horus," Anubis said without looking up from the photos. "He's with Wadjet following Set's trail."

"Really?" Horus exclaimed. His eyes shined with deep desire. He stood from his seat saying, "I really should go help him. He could get hurt and –"

"No you don't." Isis grabbed his arm. Even with the force she must have been using to stop him, she didn't show any strain. "You promised to help figure this out with me. You're staying here."

"Oh come on, Isis! That magician could be in Antarctica or something by now. Finding him would be faster if you let me beat Set till he tells us what he knows."

"Actually, there's a better way." She held up the paper that held the spell. "If he was sloppy enough to leave behind the spell, then he was sloppy enough to leave a trail."

* * *

 

"Anubis! If you can't keep your human alive yourself, then you shouldn't take her with us!"

Horus the Elder shot me scathing glared after he stopped yet another piece of rubble from crushing me to death. He wasn't being fair. When Horus had once again told Anubis that Paws and I shouldn't come along, I sided with him. I didn't want to come. I knew I would only slow them down and, frankly, staying around Horus didn't seem healthy for my sense of self-worth. Anubis, however, insisted I stayed for reasons that are beyond me. So now I had to deal with the snide comments Horus shot me as he saved my life from the Opera house that was determined to kill me.

"I didn't ask to have my magic sealed," replied the zombie boy.

"And I didn't ask for babysitting duties!"

"Horus, could you please respect Anubis' wishes," Isis said with a sigh. "Anubis wouldn't bring Nakia here for no reason."

I don't know about that, I thought but didn't dare say it. I wasn't in the mood to speak. I was beginning to feel ashamed of my mortality. Paws, however, was easily weaving through the piles of debris. Since the building hadn't labeled him as its next murder victim, Paws managed to stay out of Horus' notice.

We made our way to the center of the explosion, descending deeper into the rubble into the basement. It was a bit creepy being around half melted mannequins and soot covered props.

"It's just over here," Horus said. We came to a stop in a large clearing. Everything that had been in the room had been blown into the surrounding walls. It was amazing the roof hadn't given in at all. The room was dark with no light but the blue flames that came to life in Isis' hand. In the center of the room, there was a spot in the floor that hadn't been scorched during the explosion. It was just large enough for a person to stand in.

"The spell itself I found underneath the electrical equipment over there, but he was probably standing here when he used it."

"Good work, Horus." Isis knelt to the ground at the clear circle on the ground speaking words I couldn't hear. Nothing happened for a while. Then a figure made of red light bathed the room in a crimson glow. The figure was shorter than me, its head reaching my chest. It turned its head and looked at Anubis. It held out his hand, his finger beckoning him forward. Then it vanished.

"Well, that was creepy," Horus said sounding more bored than disturbed. "What do we do now?"

Isis straightened up. "His magic trail has been covered. It could take me a week to sift through it to find it again."

"He wanted me to come alone," Anubis said.

"What makes you think that?" I asked.

"I wouldn't be able to follow his trail with magic. There's another way, possibly one only I could think of."

Horus clapped his hands together. "I got it. You can use that trick with the shadows."

Anubis shook his head. "That uses magic."

"Ah, well," Horus faltered but quickly regained his vigor. "At least my theory was proven. His magic is red."

"The color of Set," Isis whispered though it managed to ring loud in the deserted space.

"Isis, can you keep the human alive? I'm going to send a message to Little Me." Isis nodded absently staring at the space the glowing figure had been before.

When Horus left, she said, "I'm glad he came to help out with this. The situation is more serious than I thought."

"Do you think Set is in on this?" Anubis asked. I almost didn't catch him. Paws had surprised me by prodding me with his wet nose.

"I can't say for sure if this his bidding or the magician is acting on his own designs. Not when you're the target. Has Set acted against you before?" Paws was whimpering at me, his eyes pleading.

"No, but Sobek attacked me a couple of weeks ago." Paws was gesturing his muzzle to the spot on the floor and pleaded in his whine.

"Sobek attacked you? One of the three evils… that's very troubling. He doesn't always do Set's bidding, but if he attacked you, I cannot think he did it out of impulse."

"Um, I think Paws is trying to say something, Anubis." They both pulled out of their conversation. Immediately, Paws ran to Anubis barking his head off.

"Slow down. I hear you." He paused, contemplating to himself. He turned to Isis and said, "Can I see that spell?"

"Sure." She pulled it from her beaded bag and gave it to Anubis, who let Paws sniff it. A moment later he was sniffing at the ground. His nose stayed pressed to the floor. Finally, he gave an excited bark, his tail wagging.

"Paws has his scent. We can follow that."

"A way only you could think of," Isis mused. Anubis shrugged. I almost wanted to laugh but didn't. In a case where the gods couldn't use their magic could they really think of no other solutions? And yet one of the first things a human would think of would be a search dog. I wondered how much the gap between humans and gods thoughts were, and whether Se-Osiris was aware of it.

I survived the journey out of the Opera house. It felt very bright outside after crawling out of the darkness. Paws leapt out and had his nose to the ground. He had to abandon the trail as we maneuvered through the rubble. Isis followed after me.

"I hope he isn't in the city. Perhaps we should find his location before we approach. We would have a better chance of luring him away."

Anubis nodded. Without any warning, Anubis let out an earsplitting howl. I quickly covered my ears but it did nothing to help. The sound shook my bones, making it difficult to keep myself standing. The howl faded then died. I glimpsed at the surrounding police and media but they didn't show any sign of having their ears blown out.

"Ow, my eardrums..."

"Huh? Oh, sorry." Anubis replied. I thought I heard Paws laughing in his way, but I looked over to see him snarling, his eyes fixed to a point in the park. My eyes found what he was growling at. Coming from the shadows of the trees was a large pack of dogs. It took a moment for me to pin a name to the tan fur and pointed ears. There were about twenty or so dingoes approaching us. They came slowly at first, and then broke into a run. They all came at Anubis and nearly knocked him down. They acted like a bunch of puppies competing for attention. Not quite the vicious attack I was expecting.

"Okay, settle down. I have a scent I need you to follow," Anubis said. He had them all sniff the spell and soon they ran off following their noses. Paws was taking this as a personal insult and would not even look at Anubis. We left through the police line and broke into the trees. We found some benches surrounding a water fountain that we sat at while we waited. Paws was drinking out of the fountain. I watched him not really focusing. I was queasy. The last time we faced danger it sprang up out of nowhere. I was beginning to think that way was better than walking into it. It gave you way more time to think than needed.

My feelings must have showed, because Isis laid her hand on my shoulder. "You don't have to come if you don't want to."

I didn't want to. I might as well be honest. "I… I'm going if Anubis is."

Anubis glanced at me from where he sat but said nothing. I felt a bit stunned at myself. I wasn't going to say that. As I spoke, I caught sight of the hieroglyphs moving across Anubis' skin. Something rose in me. Maybe it was the natural liar thing Anubis thinks I am. No, it was more like someone else had answered for me. It was creepy.

"Your lesser name suits you, Nakia," Isis answered.

"Paws! Don't jump in there!" Anubis shouted. Paws turned up his nose and jumped in the water. Anubis went after him, his face blank.

When he was further away, Isis said, "If you don't mind me asking, why did you decide to help Anubis? You didn't feel obligated because of your ability did you?"

I paused, thinking back to my last days as a high school student. Slowly, I responded, "I would be lying if I said I didn't feel a little obligated. At that time, there was this boy I knew. I didn't know him well, but you could tell his life was rough. He was bullied because of it. My friend told me I should stay out of it, so I did. He committed suicide." I paused, looking up at Anubis standing on the fountain rim.

"Anubis reminded me of him. There's sadness in him I don't really understand. I knew that I couldn't make the same mistake with him that I made with Andrew."

"Do you regret it?" she asked with a soft voice.

I smiled despite myself. "Helping Anubis I don't regret, but I regret leaving my family. If I had stayed, I would regret not helping him. I had no easy choices."

"The most important ones never do. I'm glad you choose to help him. He's been lost long enough."

"Horus said the same thing. Little Horus, I mean. I'm glad there are some gods that don't mind I'm around." I sighed.

"Don't let my brother deter you. Sad to say, many gods keep themselves out of human affairs. They forget how much our kind relies on each other."

"What good are we to gods?"

"You give us purpose." I looked at her as she gave me a warm smile. I would have asked what purpose, but Paws came back and was shaking water on us.

"Enough, Paws!" I scolded. He was grinning, his tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth. Anubis was behind him soaking wet.

"Could you?" he asked Isis in a flat tone.

"Of course," she replied. She said some inaudible words with her hand out to him. Next moment, Anubis was dry with no shiny flashes or great gusts of wind. Just one moment he's wet and then he was dry. Magic was turning out to be less dramatic in appearance than I thought it would be. Isis stood and said, "He's back."

In the sky past the trees came a golden object. I couldn't make out what it was until it came closer.

"Is that a … chicken frisbee?"

"It is the Winged Disk; another form of Horus," Isis corrected. Coming to us was, I kid you not, a gold disk with flapping wings. It had looked like a frisbee from far away (well, I still think it looks like a frisbee) but it was very massive. It would probably be taller than the water fountain. The wings came out of it at each side. They must have been huge as well, but they were a blur beating fast like hummingbird wings. A moment later, the disk was gone and Horus fell out of the sky. He landed gracefully but looked incredibly grumpy.

"Welcome back." Isis' voice was pleasant despite the negative aura Horus was exuding.

"Yeah," he grunted. "Are we having a picnic now?"

"Anubis sent some dogs to follow the magician's scent. We are waiting on their return before we decade on what to do next."

"Good." He didn't seem to be listening. He plopped down onto a separate bench, looking very hostile.

Anubis said to him, "Little Horus didn't like being interrupter, did he?"

"Yes!" Horus burst out as though he were a bomb that was just set off. "I ask him what he's doing with Set and he tells me to butt out! He acts like I'm trying to fight his battles for him."

"You usually are."

"Only when it's Set. Anyway, I got the message to him to interrogate him while he's at it. Hopefully he'll win this fight. His winning streak has been getting pretty long."

"He may not," Isis said bluntly. "We may be able to extract Set's purpose from the magician."

"Hmph, he better win…" Horus mumbled.

A soft patter could be heard in the distance. The sound grew louder, the pounding of their paws bringing them closer. The group of wild dingoes came to a halt before Anubis. The largest of them gave a loud bark and Anubis nodded. "They're outside the city in a barren field. They're waiting for us."

"They?" Isis asked.

He nodded. "They said a woman is with him. Probably a goddess."

Isis and Horus exchanged glances. It was apparent that they had not expected others to be involved. Isis sighed. "Let us not delay then. Could you ride us there, Horus?"

Of course his first reaction was to glare in my direction. Maybe I would have glared back too if I hadn't been caught off guard by Isis' implication of Horus giving us a ride. "I'm not taking you all! I have a passenger limit, you know!"

Now I was very concerned about our ride. "Paws doesn't have to come with us," Anubis replied. Paws whined in protest, but Anubis turned to him and said, "No, you don't. The place we're going is far outside the city. Get to the boat and make sure it's there for when we leave." Paws turned to me, his eyes pleading. When my silence confirmed there was nothing I could do, he whimpered and sauntered off in defeat.

"And what about the human?" Horus grumbled/

"She comes with us," Anubis said.

"Onto a battle field?" Horus grinned in a mocking way. "Is that why you keep dragging her along with you? Hoping she'll die sooner?"

Suddenly, Anubis hand grabbed at my shoulder a moment before he fell to his knees. His hold pulled me to the ground with him.

"Enough!"

The high voice of Isis could not be more commanding. Her sweet demeanor was replaced with a cold authority. I knew in that moment Isis wasn't someone to cross. I pulled my gaze away from her to check on Anubis. His face was like stone except for his eyes. They looked to be struggling to focus on something. I could only guess his heart was searching for a feeling it lacked.

"Horus," Isis voice rang, "whatever hard feeling you have about Anubis' decision to bring Nakia you can keep to yourself." Horus grunted but didn't protest against her. She turned on Anubis and for a moment I feared she would give him a stern lecture as well. However, she knelt down to meet his eyes and said in a soft voice, "Anubis, Horus does have a point. It would be safer if she stayed behind."

Although I didn't like them deciding for me whether I should go I kept it to myself. I knew I would do whatever Anubis decided regardless. As for him, as his eyes focused on Isis, any emptiness of emotion vanished. In fact, the look he gave her I had never seen before. Whenever I looked into his eyes, there was always something in his gaze that was off. In this instance, the look of regret mingled with a fierce determination was so clearly written on his face, there was no trace of that off look.

"I won't let her out of my sight," he stated.

I didn't understand it, but Isis looked hurt from what he said. The tension in the air brought my hair on end. I had a feeling this tension was something beyond what Anubis said.

Horus' booming laughter broke through the tension. He approached us, still chuckling. "So that's how it is. You don't change at all, kid." Horus patted his shoulder as Anubis stood up again. He avoided looking at me. While stretching his arms he said, "Let's just get this over with. I want to meet up with Little Me as soon as possible."

Then the chicken frisbee returned. Its golden disk hovered for a moment and then landed on the ground with a metallic clang. The white wings as long as three people spun in a circle like a helicopter until it folded into the disk and out of sight. When Isis stepped onto the giant frisbee, I felt my body lock up. Anubis had tugged at my wrist but I didn't move.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"No, just no," my voiced squeaked as I protested. "I can't… I can't fly on that. There are no seat belts or edges…"

"It's fine, Nakia. You won't fall, and if you do I'll catch you," Isis called out.

"You have always been fine on the boat. This is no different."

"This is completely different!" I exclaimed.

Anubis sized me up and his cold demeanor loosened. "Do you want to stay behind?"

Yes. "No."

He sighed. With strength that didn't fit his size, he threw me over his shoulders like I was lighter than cotton.

"Hey! Put me down! Stop it!" I complained all the way to Horus' chicken frisbee. Anubis plopped me in the middle with no effort. His lax expression only jarred my anger.

Isis reprimanded, "That was insensitive, Anubis. You'll only scare her more."

"It was faster."

As though responding to the word 'fast', the frisbee uncurled its wings and shot into the sky. My stomach didn't come with me. I covered my eyes and curled my head between my knees. My heart was hammering in my chest and I fought back images of us slipping off. It didn't stop a short scream escaping as I felt the world flip over us.

"Is that really necessary, Horus?" Isis said. The world righted itself but the disk was shaking slightly. I could imagine the sound of Horus roaring with laughter in my head.

Of course, we fell.

There was a screeching sound like when Anubis was sealed. The sky cackled with red static and the chicken frisbee vanished beneath us. I wish I could say I kept my cool, but I screamed through the whole fall. Someone grabbed me from under my arms and slowed my fall. It wasn't until I was on the ground that I opened my eyes.

Miles and miles of arid dirt stretched out as far as the horizon. We were inside a giant red circle that glowed red energy. Hieroglyphs spiraled inside it. Isis stood over me and I saw the red words were slipping over her skin. It was the same for Horus, now in his human form. The black hieroglyphs on Anubis had an added red gleam.

In the center of this circle some ways away were two figures. The tallest was a woman who looked like a biker. She wore a black leather jacket and a tight fitting biker suit. Her black hair was cut short in an angle so it was longer in the front. Her eyes were as black as her hair. The red hieroglyphs also snaked across her skin. She didn't look happy to be here.

Next to her was a boy that looked to be twelve. He wore what looked like the sort of uniform you would wear at a private boarding school. His black hair was neatly pulled back. He had the sort of eyes that didn't belong on a young boy's face. Like me, he didn't have the glowing words crossing over his body.

He was the immortal magician.

 


	11. Making Deals and Hearing Voices

**Chapter 11: Making Deals and Hearing Voices**

At the sight of us, the magician lowered on one knee and bowed his head. "Oh, Great Mother Isis and Warrior Horus the Elder. I did not expect to be in your presence."

"Stand boy!" The woman next to him snapped. "As long as you serve Set, you do not lower your head to his enemies."

"Are you Se-Osiris?" Isis asked him.

He grinned. "That was one of my names."

"I would ask if you were behind everything, but this seal makes it obvious it was you." Isis tapped her foot on the crimson spell under us. She gave Se-Osiris a confident smile. "I can easily break this seal."

"I am sure you can. The seal was only a precaution, and it served its purpose. I doubt I would fare well in a fight with the Winged Disk."

"Damn right," Horus replied. He turned his eyes to the woman next Se-Osiris and yelled, "Hey Uhat! I didn't know you babysit little magicians!"

She crossed her arms but kept her cold glare at him. "I'm just here to watch the show."

Anubis stepped forward into the front of our group. The seal on his skin was so pronounced now that half his skin color was obscured by its black and red glow. "Did you gamble Khonsu so that I would have to come here?"

Se-Osiris nodded.

Anubis was silent for a moment before continuing. "You want something from me, do you not?"

"I do, and it is not so easy to find you under even normal circumstances. I've heard about the plight with your heart. With you gone from your usual duties to recover it has made contacting you even more difficult. So I decided to find an old god that could do it for me."

"And now I'm here."

"And now you're here, because you can't lift that seal without me."

"What do you I need to do to have it lifted?"

"Anubis," Horus interrupted. "This guy is working for Set. You shouldn't just do whatever he asks."

"What choice do I have?" Anubis said and glanced over his shoulder at him. "It'll be fine."

Uhat was laughing under her breath from the exchange between Horus and Anubis, but Se-Osiris ignored her. "I have two requests."

"That's hardly even," Anubis countered. "I do two tasks for you when I only need one thing from you?"

"I thought you think that way. A god so close to Ma'at and the weigher of souls would seek balance. That is why…" he broke off, reaching for something in the small satchel hanging from his shoulder. He pulled out a small object and held it out. "… I will offer this as well."

Anubis' shoulders tensed. I stared at the canopic jar not believing my eyes. But it was there in his hands, with the Jackal head and all. I closed my eyes, but saw nothing but the strong red light through my eyelids.

"It's not real," I called out to Anubis. "You're hearts not in there."

Anubis nodded to me but at the same moment Uhat let out a shriek of a laugh. "Not real, the human says. This canopic jar he received from Set himself, and him from Nephthys."

"Is she your magician?" Se-Osiris asked.

"No, she is not," Anubis replied. "But she is an anomaly and has sharp eyes. Show me it that my heart is there or we done here."

"As you wish, Son of Nephthys." The boy screwed off the jackal head of the jar and poured the contents into his other hand. From the jar blood spilled out into his hand until finally a lump of flesh fell into his hand. It was small and fit into his palm easily. The flesh pulsed in an even rhythm. "You see. A fragment of a heart that continues to beat without an owner. You would be hard pressed to find another's heart in this state."

It was really his heart. Useless, was all I could think. My fear had come true. My ability was gone and I was no use in helping Anubis. I wondered if the others would reprimand me for my failure. For now they only had their eyes on the magician.

"Make your deal then," Anubis said in a low voice.

Se-Osiris glanced at Uhat for a second before speaking. "First I need you to confirm something for me. The second request… I need you to do something for me."

Anubis said nothing; only nodded. Uhat was squaring her shoulders, watching the magician with hawk eyes.

"You remember me from my first life. I am the magician Ousimanthor who served the Pharaoh Manakhphre, or Horus the Child, in protecting him from the Ethiopian king and his magician."

"I remember. That happened many millennia ago," Anubis responded.

"So it did. And you have been keeping a secret all this time haven't you, Anpu?"

Anubis was silent. Isis and Horus both glance at him before returning their attention to Se-Osiris.

"Tnahsi*. That is the name of the magician I had to face to protect my pharaoh. Then many lifetimes later I again faced a magician of Ethiopia when I was but a boy in that lifetime. Tell me, was that the same magician I had faced in my first life?"

All was still. I could only see Anubis back, but I could feel his tension coming off in waves as he silently stood facing Se-Osiris. It was a long moment before Anubis softly said, "Yes, that was Tnahsi."

"Is he still immortal?"

"…yes."

Se-Osiris glared at Anubis with intense hatred burning in his eyes. I wondered why Anubis kept a secret like that. Two rivals from the ancient past have been living immortal lives and yet Se-Osiris had lived unaware the other still lived. Was Anubis trying to prevent him knowing? If he had, it has now been undone.

Se-Osiris turned his eyes again toward Uhat, but again held Anubis in his gaze. "If Tnahsi does still live, then I will lift your seal and give you your heart fragment if you find him for me."

"That was not the deal you made, magician!" Uhat yelled at him. "Your patron god gave you instructions and you will follow them!"

Se-Osiris didn't move but stared to Anubis. I could see Isis and Horus tensing, their eyes darting between the goddess and the magician. Anubis very slightly nodded his head.

Just from that small gesture chaos broke out. The magician pulled out a paper scroll that instantly burst into light. The light connected with Anubis in a bright thread and the hieroglyphs on his skin shattered off him like glass. At the same time, Isis grabbed at the light of the red circle at our feet. She lifted it up and quickly threw it back into the ground. It too shattered and disappeared.

Uhat had let out an angry shout during this and a large black limb twice the size of her materialized from her back. It struck at Se-Osiris, but the blow was blocked by Horus who appeared in an instant between the two. She pulled it back and I realized the limb was the tail of a scorpion.

Se-Osiris nimbly jumped back from Uhat. Now both Anubis and Isis were running to where Horus and Uhat fought. Perhaps it was the suddenness everything changed, but feeling the familiar adrenaline running through me I instinctually pulled my blindfold over my eyes. But this time the world became black and white and I saw the green glow of Anubis' heart lying on the ground forgotten in the commotion. Without thinking I ran for it. As I came closer a black figure rose from the ground and blocked my path.

"Ah!" I shouted as it grabbed me. I struggled against its hold but its grip stayed firm. I looked down to stomp down on its foot and met a strange sight. The figure had no feet. Instead its legs continued until they went under my feet. "My shadow?" I cried out in surprise.

As though to confirm my shout, I saw Anubis in the distance closing in on Uhat. As he ran his shadow as well as Isis' rose from the ground and ran with them, eventually passing him. The shadows of Anubis and Isis leaped at Uhat, but instead of grabbing at her figure as my shadow did, they sank into the ground and held Uhat's shadow into place. Uhat struggled against an invisible force as her shadow fought against its captors. At that moment a tall tower of red light and wind swept around the magician. The storm of wind swept away from him and collided with Uhat. The ground began breaking away from the winds creating a swirling hole in the ground. The sands pulled the struggling Uhat in the ground, red lightning erupting all around her. Before her figure disappeared, she screamed, "You will pay for this!" And then she was gone.

The storm lasted for a few more seconds before disappearing once more. The shadow that held me let go and sank back into place on the ground. Horus was to first to make any sound, laughing at the spot Utah disappeared. "'You will pay!' If I could count how many times I've heard that one."

"I fear I may be killed by her this time, if not Set himself," said Se-Osiris.

"About Set," Isis said approaching Se-Osiris, "what was the promise you made with him?"

Se-Osiris raised his eyebrows and replied, "In exchange for his sa, Set wanted me to bring Anubis to him. For what reason, I do not know, but I agreed so I could use magic to find Anubis. I never had any attention to fulfill Set's wish, however."

"Se-Osiris," Anubis called to him. "I will help you find Tnahsi, but I can't set out immediately to find him. I still have more fragments of my heart to recover before I do anything else."

"I understand, God of Funerals. I have lived for many lifetimes. I can wait a little longer. As for your heart…" His eyes swept the area to finally rest on me. I already had that heart fragment kept beating softly in my hand. Se-Osiris titled his head, looking for a moment like the young boy his body was.

"Anubis, here." I said to him outstretching my hand. Everyone was looking at me, probably wondering why I was walking around blindfolded, but I didn't mind them. I only kept my eyes transfixed on Anubis as he took the heart fragment and watched the green glow go down his throat, settle in his chest and fade away. I pulled the bandana back around my neck.

"Thank you for recovering my heart, Se-Osiris," Anubis said to him.

Se-Osiris bowed to him and replied, "It was my honor, Anpu."

"My honor to blackmail you, you mean," Horus said in an undertone.

"I assure you, it was all a show for Uhat. Had Anpu refused I would still find a way to return his heart. I do not wish for him to suffer a fate so much like his father's." Horus crossed his arms, not buying it. With a final bow, Se-Osiris said, "I should take my leave before Set takes his sa back from me. Hail Anpu, Isis, and Horus." The boy took some steps back, and then fell backwards with his arms outstretched. The moment his body hit the ground it turned into grains of sand that scattered in every direction. A cloud of dust formed from the impact. It twirled and twisted in an unnatural way until it dissipated.

I felt Anubis hand touch my shoulder and turned to him. "We should return to Paws," he said.

"Okay," I nodded. I turned to the others and saw Isis staring intently at me.

"Isis?" Anubis said when he noticed.

She looked to him and said, "I can see your sa within her, Anubis. Did you know this?"

Anubis shook his head looking confused. "That can't be. I never lent my sa to her."

"Still, it is there, though in a different form… I'll have to discuss this with Thoth."

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"The power you have is dependent on Anubis. When his sa was sealed, so was your ability. But it's strange for this power to manifest without his knowledge."

"Will you be going to the duat then?" Anubis asked Isis.

"Yes, I have much to discuss with Thoth." She paused for a moment and said more seriously, "Beware, Anubis. Set has never been your enemy before and I worry over what brought this change. He is a fierce enemy. Do not take him lightly."

Anubis nodded. "I will take caution, thank you."

She held his cheek in her palm and bent to kiss his forehead. She turned towards me smiling kindly. She tucked the strands of hair in my face behind my ear as she said, "Take care of him and stay safe, Nakia."

"Sure thing." I said, biting the inside of my cheek. Her touch was so much like a mother's it tore at my heart. Just before she withdrew her hand, I thought I saw something blue flicker in the corner of my eye. But nothing was there when I looked.

I blinked and she was gone. I looked around and there was no one but Anubis and me. I furrowed my brow. "Where did Horus go?"

"He left as soon as Se-Osiris left. After Little Horus no doubt."

"Oh, I didn't even notice."

"Come on."

Behind us Paws boat was sailing in the distance coming to us. We walked toward the boat through the barren landscape. I felt tired and was looking forward to lying down in my bed. Suddenly, my body stiffened. My vision became hazy and I felt a hundred degrees hotter. I was distantly aware that my body was sinking to the ground. I couldn't see or feel anything but the heat, but I heard a voice that vibrated through my entire being.

_ I was Yesterday and –was– called Sef _

_ How to let through the Petals to a flower? _

_ But the Petals know the Seed, not the Drought _

_ The Wind is meaningless but carries the Petals _

_ Meaningless Prophecy, what storm have you stirred? _

_ And the Petals – _

"…prophecy?"I murmured through the heat. The center of my vision began to burn the darkness away, creating a hole that I could see the ground through. I heard a muffled voice that became crisper as the heat faded away.

"Nakia? Can you hear me?" I blinked and I steadily felt power coming back to my limbs. I lifted my head and saw Anubis crouched to the ground holding me by my shoulders. His face was devoid of emotion as was his voice. A shadow loomed over us and saw that the boat had sailed in front of us.

"I can hear you… I … heard someone talking…"

"Can you stand?"

"Y-yeah."

* * *

 

I lay in my bed, trying to clear my mind and failing miserably at it. So many things had happened in so little time. We encountered the immortal magician, Anubis' seal was lifted with the promise of hunting his enemy after his heart was whole, I had the lovely experience of being held against my will by my own shadow, we recovered a piece of Anubis' heart, and learned that Set is trying to lure Anubis to him.

But through it all I keep going back to the voice. It happened out of nowhere. Anubis wanted to ask me what happened, I could tell. But one glance at me he had stopped himself and said, "I think we both need some rest."

I was trying to remember all the words it said. I knew it had just happened only an hour or so ago, but it feels like a faraway memory, like one from early childhood. The one word that stuck with me was 'prophecy', but I couldn't remember anything about it. I remember petals were mentioned more than once. And I think it mentioned either a 'drought' or a 'flood'. I'm leaning toward 'flood' since I vaguely remember it saying something about a 'storm' too. But what is any of it supposed to mean? I was desperately trying to remember the words I heard but the more I recalled it, the more meaningless… meaningless it felt.

I heard a low groan from the boat. The only time I ever heard this sound was if the boat was making a sharp turn. I looked out a side window and, enough, the boat was changing course. I threw on my jacket and left my bedroom.

"What's going on?" I asked when I entered the bridge. Paws was there with his teeth digging into the wood of the wheel as he turned it. Then I saw Anubis leaning against the wall. "Hey, are you okay? You should stay in bed!"

Anubis was as white as a sheet and sheen of sweat coated his forehead. I remembered the last time I gave back a part of his heart and the sort of attack he had. "Come on. We're taking you back to bed." I grabbed at his shoulders to direct him out but he pushed my hands away.

"I can't. We're going to the duat."

"Why?"

"A soul has made it through the gates and wishes to have his heart weighed."

My thoughts ran in images. The multiple times I've seen the carving of a jackal god by an old scale. The giant scale I saw on two occasions I had visited the duat. Se-Osiris saying to Anubis, 'A god so close to Ma'at and the weigher of souls would seek balance.'

"The Weighing of the Heart ritual."

Anubis nodded. "It has been almost seven years since the last one. I wonder how this one will fair."

* * *

 

"You're giving the dead pizza and coke?" Anubis asked when I came in with the food for the dead. Since Anubis is in a miserable state, I couldn't let him go out to fulfill this errand before entering the duat so I volunteered to go on my own.

"Don't tell me all they ever give them is bread and water? That's so boring."

"Nearly every culture has bread, and water is universal so it's most likely to be satisfying for all."

"But everyone likes pizza," I replied. Anubis sighed and said nothing. I shrugged my shoulders and added, "And they're already dead so I doubt they need to worry about their arteries."

"If Osiris finds out, I'm telling him it was you."

We sailed down the river in a new boat until we came to the place of the floating doors. As we passed the pillar with the empty basin I quickly left the offering of pizza and coke. The boat floated past without stopping so I could only hear the doors colliding to form into one large one from the distance as we passed through the gate to the next chamber. This was the same for the next two chambers until we came to the flaming lake. The flames died in our approach and we came to a stop at large flight of stairs. Light glowed from the room above that held the giant black scale.

"Paws, stay with the boat. We shouldn't be long," Anubis ordered. Paws barked in reply. We got out of the boat, but Anubis stopped me. "I will be taking another route to where Osiris is. Just go upstairs and wait for me. Thoth should be up there waiting as well."

"You're not coming with me?" I asked. It felt strange going anywhere without him.

He grinned while walking away, "I think you can climb a flight of stairs by yourself." He turned and left, disappearing into the darkness. Something about his reaction felt odd. After Anubis spending the whole day making sure that I never left his, for him to leave me to go out on my own in the duat didn't feel right. I shrugged off the feeling and climbed the stairs.

I was greeted with the familiar hall of open space that eventually turns to hallways that lead to the many rooms of the other gods. In the center was the large, onyx scale towering overhead. It was noticeably quieter than usual. The varied gods and goddess that normally roamed in and out of here were all absent.

There was one god. Thoth stood underneath the scale, unusually balancing a laptop of all things in one hand while he typed with the other. There was another person with him. It looked like a teenage boy. I could see the back of his black hair and his black leather jacket. Then he turned to face me, and I was confronted with a familiar face.

"Andrew Darnell…"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Tnahsi isn't his original name from the legend. His name was Horus, son of Tnahsit. However, my story has enough Horus's so I decided to give him the name of his mother, dropping the 't' at the end to make the name masculine.
> 
> **The prophecy given here has two parts that has to be put together in order to have its complete form. The prophecy is given in an ABABAB pattern. Right now we have all the A's. The B's will be given in a few chapters.


	12. Rebellious Teenagers Don't Belong in the Duat

**Chapter 12: Rebellious Teenagers Don't Belong in the Duat**

His eyes were the only things that changed since the last time I saw Andrew before his suicide. Back then, he would rarely lift his eyes to look at anyone. Their focus was never on anything around him, like he didn't want to see the world around him for what it was.

Now he looked directly at me. He didn't shift his gaze but returned my look with a confidence he never had while living. They stayed focused, as though the duat was a reality he could accept than the one he had left behind.

Andrew looked bewildered by my appearance. He opened his mouth to say something, but at the same moment Thoth noticed me and stepped between him and me. "Welcome back, Nakia. Has Anubis already left to see Osiris?"

"Uh, yeah he did," I replied.

"Splendid. The sooner we finish the better. I have four hundred eighty seven million nine hundred ten thousand five hundred and sixty six documents and notes I still need to process and I would rather not delay the work too long. And I presume you will be staying for the Weighing of the Heart? It's quite rare these days. You wouldn't want to miss the opportunity."

I shrugged. "I have nothing else to do."

Thoth stiffened a moment and looked at me surprised. But the moment passed and he sighed, saying, "How simple it is to be a human…" He walked away, once again taking to the laptop wobbling on his palm as he typed on it with the other hand.

Andy walked to me then. I rarely ever see him smile, so the sheepish smile he had now made him seems like another person. "Let me take a guess," he said. "You're not dead, are you?"

"Not yet." I wanted to say more, but I couldn't think of how to comment on his death and still keep the tone casual. Instead, I said, "You missed the pizza party."

"Pizza party?" I told him about my offering and he laughed in a wistful way that surprised me a little. "That's just my luck. But, man," he said shaking his head, "how on the world did I miss a person who hangs out with Gods?"

"I've only known a god since… recently. I've kind of left school so I can help Anubis out."

"That is so cool. And you know him?" he asked pointing to Thoth.

"Thoth? Yeah, I've met him a couple of times. He has the messiest office I have ever seen in my life."

"With the eight billion what papers he said he had, I would believe it. But what was it he called you? Nakia? Why don't you go by Ma–"

Andy was cut off, but not by anyone who had been here before. A black figure as tall as me appeared in front of him and had its hand over Andy's mouth to silence him. The transparent figure I recognized, and sure enough, when I looked to the ground I saw its legs stretched onto the ground until they were under my feet. Andy froze, staring at my shadow in a silent horror. At that moment Thoth's voice broke I stunned silence.

"You should take care to watch what you say. A name has power, and Nakia has adopted a lesser name to protect herself. Do you give your word to never speak her true name?"

Andy nodded stiffly. As soon as he did, my shadow retreated back onto the ground once again moving on the ground as I do. Andy said, "What was that?"

"Nakia's sheut; shadow in your language. Don't worry. The sheut only serve one god."

"Which god is that?" I asked Thoth.

He grinned at me and replied, "I think you can figure that one out yourself."

"…Anubis."

He didn't respond, but only broadened his smile. The next second he turned his head away, abruptly alert. He turned back to me and said, "They are coming. You do what I say, Nakia."

As he spoke, the room around us was changing. The wide open space was being filled with tall pillars that grew from the stone floor like spring flowers. Two rows of pillars stretched either direction on each side of us. Further away the black sand we sailed across poured from the ceiling. When the sand hit the floor, it turned into solid stone that grew taller. When the flow of black sand stopped, the stone revealed two thrones, both solid onyx with intricate reliefs on them.

"Follow me," Thoth said to me. I followed him, leaving Andy behind to wait by the giant scale. We walked to the thrones, and Thoth stood in front of the smaller throne. "Sit on the floor by me," he said and I did so. I looked at the other throne and asked, "Where's Anubis' throne?"

"He doesn't have one."

"Why not?"

"He didn't want it. Shh." Thoth looked straight forward. Between us and Andy, something else grew from the floor the same way the pillars had formed just before. It was like a white stem but it grew thicker and denser until it was eventually in the shape of a human figure. The figure took form and his back was dressed in a white robe and sporting the good old Egyptian bowling pin on his head. Andy straightened up when the figure appeared. He was timid, not really sure how to act it seemed. He finally decided to sink to one knee in a bow.

"What is the true name of the mortal who comes to have his heart weighed?" said the god.

"Andrew Jason Darnell," he said in a shaky reply.

"Andrew Jason Darnell, you have proven yourself by reaching this gate to have courage and strength worthy of being vindicated. If you wish to have your soul judged, you may continue on your journey and reach Aaru. But be warned, for if you don't speak the truth, you will suffer a second death by the jaws of Ammit. What is your will?"

"I will have my heart weighed."

"Very well." The figure turned and strode towards us. Now that I could see his face, he looked like an older Anubis. The only differences were the god's curly black hair, a small beard on his chin, and penetrating silver eyes. He cast those eyes on me, and that serious face showed a goofy grin not so different from the young boy I had met in the duat a couple of weeks before. He reached the throne and Thoth bowed low to him. Osiris nodded, but as Thoth turned to sit in his throne, Osiris gestured with his hand over his head showing how slightly taller he was from Thoth. I avoided Thoth's searching gaze as I stifled a laugh.

I had not noticed Anubis has arrived. He arrived with the hippo crocodile thing, Ammit, who strode to sit by Osiris' throne. Anubis had changed his clothes, and was topless and in a white Egyptian skirt. In his hair was a large, fluffy feather.

He looked terrible. He was paler than usual, and there was sheen of sweat over his body. His face was a mask that showed no pain or discomfort, or even any hints of feeling. He stood in front of Andy, and metronomically stated, "You will be judged against Ma'at, the Goddess of truth, justice, and order. Do you, Andrew Darnell, uphold that you have lived by Ma'at's laws, and you have not committed an evil act that you can be condemned for?"

There was a long silence while Andy stared fixedly at Anubis. I couldn't understand why he was waiting so long. The words seemed to be stuck in his throat. But finally Andy swallowed and said, "I do."

Anubis nodded without a word. He drew the feather from his hair and held outstretched before him. He let go, but the feather didn't drift to the ground. It slowly turned in the air frozen in place. Soon a wind stirred it, and many white feathers started to appear, spinning in tight circles. Many appeared until the feathers were so nit in place that they made a form.

The feathers continued to spin and blow, but they were confined in the shape of a woman's body. Anubis bowed to the figure when she took form. She nodded her head back to him. The feather made body drifted to one side of the scale, where she floated to the side of one of the weights.

Anubis walked directly to Andy. I flinched as his hand went into his chest. There wasn't any blood or anything, but he removed his hand easily with a heart in his hand. The heart didn't move, obviously dead as Andy was. Andy's face went slack, and I was eerily reminded of Anubis' own blank stare.

Anubis took his place on the other side of the scale. In unison, the feathered figure stepped into the metal weight just as Anubis placed Andy's heart in the scale. The scale swung from the new weight and teetered up and down. The feathers would swirl with the movement but stayed contained in the weight. Gently the scale slowed its movement and came to a stop.

There was a metallic clanking as one side rested on the ground.

It took me a moment to know what it meant. My mind finally grasped the old legend my father had told me as Thoth stood beside me.

"This is his judgment," Thoth declared. "The heart of Andrew Jason Darnell has been weighed, and his heart gives testimony on his behalf."

My hands started shaking. I could see Anubis stepping away from the scale, looking not over to me, but the creature growling beside Osiris' throne.

"His heart has been found immoral under the trial of the Great Balance."

I tried to stand up, but my knees were stiff and shaking.

"There has been wickedness found him, for he has slain his own life and shed the blood of man."

The growling grew louder. Anubis wouldn't look at me.

"By Ma'at's judgment, he has broken his word, and shall perish in the jaws of Ammit."

"No!" I cried.

Anubis nodded.

The creature ran with a blur and threw itself in the scale, the side Anubis has been standing by. I heard its growls but I did not see. I had made it to my feet. I was running away. Away from the growls and tearing behind me.

I didn't belong here. I felt so alive it hurt.

I let my legs carry me through the repetitious corridors, trying desperately to find the office I had been before. I wanted to hide, and there wasn't a better place than underneath Thoth's pile of books.

But deep inside I knew I couldn't escape. I was trapped in the duat and it terrified me. The feared for me life. I couldn't put a name to it. I ran from being at the mercy of the gods.

I turned a corner, and there were no longer any halls before me. The area was wide open and bare. Everything continued into darkness. The floor had turned into dark dirt that stretched on as far as was visible.

I turned around to go back, but the hall I left wasn't behind me. It was the same barren field all around me. I staggered, whipping myself around trying to find where I had just come from. My breath came in shaky gasps and I was still shaking. I couldn't move my mind shocked at the sudden change in environment.

Something grabbed my ankle.

I shrieked and fell. I pulled my foot away. A decomposed hand fought against me. Another cry escaped me when I realized what it was. I wrestled me foot free and scrambled away. More decomposed body parts started digging from the earth around me. I was trapped in a horrible version of Thriller, where I would be lucky if they started dancing instead of attacking me.

I started running, trying to keep away from the skeletal bodies that pulled themselves from the ground. I didn't know where I was going. I wasn't even sure if I was going straight, let alone the right direction. As I ran I could hear them whispering behind me.

_You are my sweet, smart child._

_No daughter of mine can't leave before giving her dad a big old hug._

_You know that you can tell me anything, right? If there is something wrong, you can tell me._

My corners of my eyes burned from the voices and the memories connected to them. Part of me wanted to stop and turn back; run to back to my family where I would be safe. I forced myself to keep moving forward. They were gone. There was no going back.

The world shifted. I was flung through the ground, like the world was rotating. For a moment the image of an hourglass being turned stuck in my mind.

I wasn't in the barren waste land anymore. It had the appearance of a natural cave. Stalactites dripped water above me. The place was dark, but there was a natural glow though I couldn't see its source.

As soon as I stepped forward the floor I stood on started to sink. The black sand that had looked solid started to move and ripple. I fell in deeper into the sand as a current started to flow and the sand turned into a river. I was pulled underneath by the current. The sand stung my eyes and I closed them. I was being tossed by the force. It felt heavier than water but moved like it. I could feel bits of rock scraping across my face. I couldn't control where I was going. My throat burned for the air I wanted to breathe.

My direction changed to a vertical pull, and the last thing I remembered was landing forcefully onto the ground.

* * *

I woke in a tunnel. I was covered in clumps of wet, black sand. I was panting. I wasn't sure if I had been out for a long time or only a moment. I slowly got to my knees and whipped off the sand on me.

The tunnel was perfectly round, and the walls were smooth. I stayed still for a moment gathering myself, trying to remember how I got here. My mind was numb and I found recalling what had happened difficult. It was like waking from a dream that slowly slips away as you try to remember what the dream was about.

The tunnel had some light, though it was still dark. Directly above me was looked like a red electrical current stretching down the bath in front and behind me. The constant movements of light made my shadow shake. I looked down each path, not sure which direction to take.

_Decide well, mortal. Which way you take will decide whether you die quickly or suffer slowly._

I froze, from the voice that spoke as though whispering by my ear. It made the hairs on the back of my neck prickle. Fear grabbed at my throat, making it hard to breathe.

_ Which way will you take? How will you die? Don't keep me in suspense. _

I tried to speak, but I couldn't make a sound. I spent a moment steadying my breathing, and gained some control over my voice. "Wh-who are you?"

_ Heh. You wish to know me? There was a moment of silence, and then the voice continued. I am Apep. Do you know of me, mortal? _

'He's a scary snake that lives in the duat,' came Horus the Child's voice from the mention of the name.

"Snake…" I managed to croak out.

_ Ha ha ha. Very good, child. It seems the stories haven't been lost yet. _

"Where are you?" I swung around, looking around me, trying to find a snake slithering on the ground or hanging from above near my ear.

_ Where am I? You are looking at me. _

I froze, focusing my gaze directly in front of me. I looked all around, but I couldn't see where the snake was hiding. My breathing was quickening again, and I was finding it difficult to keep myself standing instead of curling up in a corner.

"I can't… can't see…"

The voice laughed again, much deeper than before. Why I'm all around you,

_ For you are inside me. _


	13. The Eyes Don't Lie, Nor Does the Odor

**Chapter 13: The Eyes Don't Lie, Nor Does the Odor**

In my mind I had given up.

There was no shame or disappointment in it. In a way, it had felt inevitable. What control did I have? No matter what I did, my fate would always be held to the whims of the gods. I had of my own will submitted myself into their world. What had I gotten myself into? Why did I try to run away from it, run from the judgment of the gods to only fall into the clutches of another greater evil? There was no point. I couldn't even work if I had ended up within the snake Apep by my own doing or if fate had carved this path for me and I was only blindly stumbling to a dance to an ancient prophecy.

There doesn't seem to be words to explain the horror and panic to know I will die and nothing I did would save me. My mind was screaming Let me out! Get me out of here! I don't want to be here! I don't want to die! The mantra was stuck in repeat and felt like shackles that held me where I was. I had staggered backwards, my back hitting against the round tissue wall that my shirt clung to the moisture of. I sunk to my bottom, my limbs shaking from the cries of terror that won't seem to come out.

_How boring_ , the voice in my ear hissed. The snake's body started to twist in turn agitatedly and I was thrown this way and that. I let my body limply move with the movements of my prison. Tears started sliding down my cheeks and nose wondering which moment would be my last. What would happen to me, to die already in the afterworld in a god Anubis nor Osiris can reach? Would there be nothing in the end?

I felt relief at the idea of escaping my current torture and quickly hated myself for it. How selfish I am. I would never be able to return home to my Aunt and Uncle and tell them how sorry I was for leaving them without a word. I'm the only one who Anubis has to help collect his heart, and I he would lose that with my death. It was so sad, seeing how the world would play out after I was gone from it. This world is too cruel.

I could feel acceleration despite being rooted to the ground. The cavern twitched in move in clipped precision. I could physically see the muscles bunching up and tightening around me. Every second I could feel my end coming closer and a numb feeling washed over my body as all my emotions abandoned me. I silently waited for the fate to impose its force to me.

There was a roar that caused a bleeding sharp pain in my ears that ripped my sense of balance. I felt dizzy, and almost didn't see the tunnel wall beside me rip open. A wave of black ocean blasted at me. I was cradled in its current. It broke into my prison and pulled me from its walls. I wasn't sure if the sandy water was rapidly throwing me around or if it was my head that was making feel this. I was holding my breath, acutely aware that I would have to breathe in at some point, and I wouldn't have any air to breathe when that moment came.

I felt something grab me. From the glowing red energy I guessed was coming front the monster I had just escaped I was able to see a clawed hand adorned with gold jewelry. Its sharp claws dug into my wrist and I panicked. I pulled away and managed to kick at the arm until it let me go.

Then I was taken away again by the black current. All light left me into darkness, and I allowed the darkness to take away my consciousness.

I could hear the soft sound of ocean waves lapsing on a beach. I vaguely wondered how I ended up on a beach somewhere. When did I fall asleep? Anubis and Paws should still be around here somewhere… but for some reason the thought of seeing Anubis made my stomach twist tightly.

I opened my eyes expecting to see a sunny sky, a wide beach of white or golden sand and blue ocean water. With a jolt I instead saw a dark, dank beach made of onyx sand and ocean water equally as dark as the shoreline. Reality slapped me in the face, and I was again confronted with the terrors of the last… hours? Days? Weeks? How long have I been here?

I lifted myself to my knees. I was covered with sand all over my limbs and clothes. As I wiped the sand off of me, I couldn't help but think I looked like a poppy seed bagel. The idea struck me as being so hilarious I burst out in an uncontrollable fit of laughter. I laughed until I was shaking and my throat was on fire, but I couldn't stop. 'Hungry, Apep? Here's a human covered in poppy seeds. Be careful, though. Eat too many and drug tests will say you're on opium. We wouldn't want anyone thinking you're crazy enough to do drugs, now do we?"

I rolled to over clutching my sides and was instantly sobered. I noticed the beach wasn't the only thing here. Across the shore was a stretch of thick, lush reeds growing clustered tightly together. I stared for a while processing their presence. The bright green color was almost blinding compared to the blacks and grays I had become accustomed to seeing. I slowly lifted myself up, but I wasn't sure what to do. Something in me said that there was something or someone in those reeds. It terrified me after all the encounters I have already had in the duat. But I didn't want to be alone, and that's what carried my feet in front of the other into the lush greenery.

It didn't take long for me to feel lost. The reeds were so dense, I couldn't see far past the area I was in. The environment had drastically changed. It felt warmer, with some humidity but not the unpleasant kind. I could hear birds singing songs, though I never saw any of them. The mud seeped into my toes, my shoes having been lost long ago.

_Darling…_

I froze. The voice belonged to a woman and sounded to be only just a few feet ahead. I crashed through the leaves trying to find the holder of the voice, but there was nothing. Just more green reeds.

_You shouldn't be here, baby._

This time the voice was a man's. I kept pushing through the reeds to wear the voices teased me. I could hear my panting coming in rasps, their pace becoming quicker.

I croaked, "Mom? … Dad?"

I waited, but there was no response. I clutched at a bundle of reeds, holding on as though they were what kept me rooted to the world. My entire body burned. I had been beaten up in so many ways and felt like I've drowned several times. But none of the pain I felt was anywhere close to being as painful as what the long second of their absent voice left me feeling. I felt a sob coming up, but it turned into a fit of coughs in my throat. My eyes felt like they would seal themselves shut. I sunk to the ground, still desperately clutching at the reeds.

_You can't give up, darling. You have to keep moving_ , I heard my father's voice beckon me.

"How?" I cried. "Why are you here? Why can't I see you?"

_This is Aaru, sweetie_ , my mother said softly. _We came here after having our hearts weighed._

"No!" I shouted and I heard the bird's songs die. "How could you go through with that? It's dangerous! You could have… could have…" I couldn't say it. The image of that beast leaping at the heart in the scale was too horrible to say out loud.

_ We knew, baby. But you gave us that chance, so we had to try. We couldn't let the opportunity go to waste. _

"… How was I a part of it?"

_Osiris listened to your prayers. With so little still believing in the gods, your prayers were easier to hear. He sent Anubis to collect us at the first gate. We were taken to Osiris and we were asked if we would have our hearts weighed so we could reach paradise._

_Don't cry, darling…_ My mother crooned softly.

"You could have died again… I would have lost you again…"

_We wouldn't have failed, darling. Our lives were blessed by you._

A shaky sound escaped my lips. I was in a giddy ecstasy I wasn't sure was real. I still couldn't see them through the thick brush. Sometime their voices sounded like they were coming in different directions.

"I want to see you…"

_ You can't, sweetie. You don't belong here. Someone who is alive cannot experience true paradise in this world. _

_ You have to return to the living world. _

"I don't want to. I don't want…"

_ Darling, you must. _

I shuddered a breath, shaking. I wasn't sure if I could even get up. Or was that just an excuse? I didn't want to lose my parents again. I wanted to stay here and listen to their voices forever. But as I sat looking around me I doubted myself. I couldn't see anyone here. Even the sound of the birds had escaped. I could never be sure their voices were real. Just that would be enough to drive me insane.

"All right…" I pulled myself up with the reeds I kept in my grasp. I let go and looked around me. "Where do I go?"

Just then I saw a pure white bird flying through the breakings of the reeds. I broke into a run after it. It couldn't be… I thought, remembering being in a similar form during one visit to the duat. 'Unless you want to stay a bird, you should calm down,' Anubis' voice echoed through the memory. I couldn't breathe as I ran. I felt light headed and had to stop to throw up, which is pretty embarrassing thing to do in the Egyptian heaven. I thought I would have lost the bird, but it flew in the corner of my eyes and I was able to chase after it again.

The dirt under my feat was changing from mud to rocky dirt. I started seeing stone blocks in my path every so often. I pushed harder on my feet despite how suffocating it felt. But if I could just catch up with the bird, maybe, just maybe…

_Stay safe, baby._

_We love you so much._

"No…" I whispered faintly. I came around a row of reeds the bird had passed through. It was gone. I had burst out of the clearing into a spacious stone corridor. It resembled the hall where the gods collect in the other part of the duat, but there was less of the onyx black stone and redder clay and sandy colored stone. There was a tall, spacious staircase where a brilliant light shined down from above. The staircase was spilt in half by the black river flowing against gravity up the staircase until the light swallowed it. I took a step towards the staircase.

I jumped when immediately after making a move I hard deep growls from either side of me. I looked to see to beasts coming toward me at either side. No matter how many times I see the bizarre creatures in the duat, they never failed to surprise me. I had seen sphinx before, but always at a distance. They were far enough that if I only glanced at them I could pretend their faces were just normal lions. These two sat directly in front of me, siting side by side blocking my path.

In their manes where a feline's face should be, there were two female faces looking at me. They were beautiful, with the facial characteristics that defined them as Egyptian women. Their straight noses ended before their plush lips and smoothed out under the high cheek-boned curves that framed everything. Their eyes, I thought, looked large in roundness and brown like mine.

One opened their mouth to speak, and I was struck with a crushing headache. I saw the Seattle Opera house surrounded by a police line, the barren Australian wasteland, and distantly heard I was Yesterday and – was – called Sef. Then the other one opened her mouth, and again I was struck with a flurry of images; a train speeding through some countryside, a cat squeezing between cargo boxes, and Anubis crouched to the ground, pushing a Canopic jar away. There was a female voice that purred through it, but I couldn't make out what it was trying to say.

I reeled when the pain in my head left and I could focus on where I was again. The Sphinxes didn't move. They stood eerily frozen in place with me locked in their sighs.

"Umm… okay… Will you… will you let me through?"

My head ripped open and I became lost in a tirade of images and words that moved to quickly I couldn't piece them together. A jackal breaking into a glass cabinet in my home. Through the petals. A heart place in an onyx scale, white feathers dancing just out of sight. Survive the Drought. Anubis and Kebechet standing together before a landscape in a storm of fire. Meaningless Prophecy… Nephthys in a black and scarlet Victorian dress playing at a grand piano. Plague the Jackal – Amun standing with his hand outstretched invitingly before him.

Whither.

I was on the ground gasping what little air I could, clutching my throbbing head. It took a moment to be aware that I existed, because I had somehow forgotten. I looked up from where I was stooped, and the Sphinxes still watched me from their spot unmoving. I staggered back to my bare feet, but I had no urge to neither move nor speak. I was stuck, and my mind was still half way stuck in the random images and reality to think clearly.

The Sphinxes finally broke their eyes away from me, looking at something behind me. I turned to look at what caught their attention. In a distance I could see a boat floating towards us. It was made with a lighter colored wood than the one I had been sailing in the past months. It was larger from the outside as well, looking spacious enough to hold at least fifty people. As it sailed close I saw Horus' eye painted on its side along with other hieroglyphs that changed between being gold to black as I looked at them. There were scars in the wood as well, as though someone had taken a crowbar and chainsaw and gone crazy on it. Despite the flaws, it didn't seem to be in too bad of shape.

At the front of the boat I saw a tall figure looking down at us. He was a tall, tan skinned man that's defined muscles were easily visible from the Egyptian garb her wore. I plate of straight black hair ran down his back and his golden eyes focused ahead steadily. When I didn't look directly at him, I could see a circular halo of light floating above his head, but whenever I tried to look straight at it the ring wasn't visible.

The boat eased to a stop before where I stood with the Sphinxes. I felt myself shaking, once again aware of being in the presence of a god and one I didn't know. The god looked at the scene in great seriousness. "Human," he said in a soft, but very commanding voice.

"Y–yes?"

"What has brought you to be in this place?"

"I'm… I'm lost."

His brows furrowed at my response. He contemplated me for a moment. His eyes widened slightly before whispering, "You are still living…"

I nodded, not sure what to say. The God strode away and I lost sight of him. He came back in a short amount of time and this time a woman was by his side. She too had a tan complexion and similar eyes but these were the only traits the two shared. The woman wore many pieces of gold jewelry around her wrists, arms, and ankles. Her hair had many colors; oranges, blacks, browns, and white. The colors clumped together and mixed in other places. She had cat ears coming from the top of her head that lay back almost flat on her head. Her hands also looked like a mix of human and feline, with claws I realized in horror looked familiar from before.

But the most curious was her eyes. They were gold like the other god's and slit like a cat's. But something about them glowed. I couldn't say it was completely visible. It was very much like how the Canopic jars would glow for me when I knew they were only glowing in my eyes and no one else's. They burned in a yellow fire that gave power to her stare. It drew me to it, but not in such power that I couldn't resist like the Canopic jars.

She glanced at me only a second before saying something I couldn't hear to the other god. He nodded and in the next instant my surroundings completely changed. I was now standing on the deck of a spacious boat with the two gods standing in front of me.

The goddess twitched her nose in my direction and quickly pulled back in repulsion. "She reeks of that dog!"

"What is your name?" the other god asked unfazed by the goddess' exclamation.

"Nakia," I replied.

"Nakia, how did you manage to come to the duat?" he asked with an incredulous tone.

"Anubis brought me here."

"Anubis?" He stared fixedly at no place in particular. "He should know better than anyone than to bring a living human here."

"I would believe it…" the goddess said apathetically.

"You would?"

She smirked while looking me in the eye. "Well she smells like him, and I can see it in her eyes.

"She's the Eye of Anubis."


	14. Railroad Hijinks

**Chapter 14: Railroad Hijinks**

It didn't sink in that she was talking about me. Instead, my mind wandered trying to figure out who the Eye of Anubis could be. I had never heard of it used for Anubis; only Horus and Ra. Then the idea came to me why the cat goddess' eyes seemed to glow.

"Are…" I croaked which brought a fit of ripping coughs. They waited until I was done and could continue. "…are you the Eye of Ra?"

She smirked, the only confirmation she would give me. I turned then to the man, the golden ring appearing above his head before I looked directly to him.

"And you are Ra?"

He nodded, "I am the Sun God Ra, past King of Egypt."

My heart pounded from my nerves making mockery of the terror I experienced in the past hours. I didn't know how I should react. Do I dare bow? Or what was it right for me to do? I thought I should at least lower my head instead of staring mouth agape at him. It was a bad idea. I moved my head too quickly, and it sent the floor rising up to meet me.

"Watch it!" I heard the goddess shout and I felt a sharp grip around my shoulders. The ground fell away, and I saw the high darkness of the duat. The faces of the gods looked down at me, but if they felt any emotion they didn't show it.

"Bastet, I would like you to treat her and return her to Anubis. After that, return to me," Ra commanded. When he said Anubis' name, I heard a low growl coming from her chest. She didn't protest, though. She merely bowed her head in compliance. Ra left my field of vision. Then I was lifted by Bastet.

She didn't say anything while she held me, but I felt terrified. Sometimes I could brush off that Anubis, Horus, or the others were gods. Bastet I couldn't pretend was human, with her cat eyes, clawed hands, and cat ears poking through her calico hair. And I was in her arms, completely at her mercy.

She took me to a canopy in the center of the boat. She laid me down on the colorful pillows that blanketed the entire area. I was becoming more aware of how weak I was. I couldn't lift my head to look around. My whole body, especially the parts of my skin that were exposed, felt like they've been grated with a cheese grater. I didn't feel like I was breathing. It was more of a rhythm of suffocating and swallowing a mouthful of air. I couldn't remember when I had last slept. My eyes felt heavy but I knew I couldn't pass out now. Not with an unfamiliar goddess for my company.

She was kneeled next to me surveying every inch of my body with cruel indifference. She placed her hand firmly over my chest, and I felt that it wouldn't rise again with her pressure. "Don't move," she commanded. Despite my instinct to struggle, I tried to do as she said, shaking with the struggle to keep from coughing. I saw her lips move in silence. They were what I focused on as I felt my body start to change to her command. It was a sensation so strange. Not painful but uncomfortable. I could feel the torn tissues in my lungs weave themselves back together. A feeling of a thousand bugs crawling up my skin replaced the pain. The bones in my fingers I had broken a week before lost their sensitivity. There was even the sensation of someone in the back of my head holding my eyes steadier and clearing my eyesight. All this lapsed together in a span of seconds before it passed.

As soon as Bastet finished, she rose and left me behind with no care. I lifted myself up to my elbows to see her leaning against the boat's edge. We didn't seem to be moving yet from what I could tell. I felt over my arms, my throat… everything was like normal. The past hours were completely erased from my body leaving me healthy and I couldn't understand why it felt so foreign. Perhaps it was the unnatural healing that made me feel like the wrong skin. Or that some things were left broken.

I stood, noting that I was able to keep a steady balance again. I left the canopy and hesitantly stood behind Bastet. I saw her ear twitch when I got closer recognizing my approach. I stared at the lion-like hand adorned with golden bracelets gripping its claws on the boat's edge.

"You were the one that grabbed me…"

"I didn't expect a human to come out of the belly of Apep. You are lucky to be alive." She turned and sat on the ledge, her body facing me bit her head turned to look to the boat's bow. "I wish the sun would rise already. I'm tired of this dark place."

"What did you mean… by the Eye of Anubis?"

She examined me from the corner of her eye, and I could feel a pulse in the aura that emitted from that stare. "You are his eyes; it's that simple. You see the things he desires to see himself. There's not much more to it." She looked away again, and I followed her gaze to see Ra standing with his back to us from the front of the boat. All I could see of him was his long plait of black hair and the glowing circle above him turning more defined. As I looked at him, Bastet said, "You're stench is making my stomach turn."

"Sorry," I replied crossly. "There aren't many showers in the duat."

"Che," she sneered. She crossed her arms never looking at me.

The boat rocked slightly as it began to move once more. I watched as the boat floated above the enormous staircase I had stood at the base of with the sphinxes. I couldn't remember much of what happened there, or what I saw. There were only two things that stuck in my head. Once again I heard the word "prophecy" and that was when I saw Nephthys. I couldn't say how I knew it was her, but what I did know was that I've already met her.

We approached the top of the staircase and as we did, a red light grew brighter in the distance. I had forgotten how cold I was until the light was shining on me. It was rejuvenating, in a different way than Bastet's spell had been. As I closed my eyes to enjoy the light's rays, an odd feeling started to creep on me. It started from my heart and spread through all my limbs. It was a discomfort that urged me to move. I could see the front of the boat where Ra stood another light shining.

I ran to the boat's bow with no regard for Bastet's shouts behind me. I couldn't restrain myself at all, so I ran until I was beside Ra at the boat's edge. Leaning forward, I saw the faint green glow through closed eyes at the distance ahead. I gasped. I had been so concerned over my own life I had all but forgotten my original quest. I had not expected I would see a jar so soon.

Then a blinding light filled my vision. Even when I covered my eyes, I couldn't block it. It shined for only a moment and it was gone again. I opened my eyes, but I couldn't see anything but an orange spot that covered everything. I waited for it to fade, but then remembered what I had just seen. I took the handkerchief tied around my neck and tied it over my eyes. I could "see" over the boat's edge the dry landscape of Australia I had just left. The shadows stretched with the light of the sunrise that was devoid of any color in my eyes.

"What was that…?" I asked. I turned to Ra and almost fell over in shock. Standing where Ra had been was someone else entirely. He was tall with dark black hair like Ra, but it was messier than his had been. Although he still looked like he was dressed for an Egyptian exhibit, the clothes were a different style that looked more casual. He wore a shining pendant of a beetle around his neck. Most noticeable was the bemused smile on his face that contrasted so much with the severe formality Ra had.

"Oh, hello," the stranger said. "And who are you?"

"Umm…"

"Ra has ordered me to bring this human back to the god she belongs to," Bastet said from behind. "We will be leaving now."

"Is that so? It's a shame I won't be spending the morning with you, Bastet," the stranger replied cheerily. Bastet made a grunting sort of sound as a reply. She quickly pulled my hand and dragged me away. Behind us the man waved saying, "Bye now!"

"Who was that? What happened to Ra?" I asked.

"Ra will return at midday. That was Khepri, the god of the dawning sun."

"The dawning sun? Oh…" I said. I remembered vaguely from my father that Ra had three aspects of himself. Three different names for three times of the day. I had thought it was strange to call Ra by different names just because of the time of day. Now I understood why.

Hesitantly, I asked, "Do you… umm, not like Khepri?"

Bastet shrugged, "I don't care for morning people. Here. We're jumping off."

Without pause Bastet swung off the boat's edge pulling me with her. I didn't even have time to panic, but our fall was short and we both landed easily on our feet. Bastet took a moment to examine our surroundings before stopping at the sight of the river.

"He should be on the other side. Come on, human."

"Wait!" I shouted. She didn't turn to look at me but she stopped in her steps. "I can't go yet. I can see a jar over there and I –"

"You think I don't know why you have that blindfold on," Bastet said as she turned to sneer at me. "I don't care. I try not to get involved in other god's family problems. It'll still be there when you are back with the mutt. Just come with me so I can return to Ra."

I wanted to argue, but she was already walking away from me. I swallowed my anger and followed after her. The sun was hot, and I noticed the boat we had only just come off of was nowhere to be seen. If it was the morning sun as the stories said, then I guessed it was the sun shining at our backs as impossible as that may be.

I dragged my feet after Bastet, but noticed my vision fading. I didn't feel like I would pass out, but my heart skipped away in panic. I looked around and noticed the green light was fading as well. With dread, I realized what it meant.

"Bastet! The jar is moving away! Fast!"

"I still don't care!" she replied with a dismissive wave.

I stood still thinking of what I could do. All the while the jar moved further away and I had to remove my handkerchief to see. I looked ahead at the river I had been on with Anubis the evening before. It looked peaceful. I was sad to turn away from it.

I took a right and started running as fast as I could. The dirt below my feet was bumpy and rough. I bit back the pain of my bare feet hitting the ground's ragged edges as I kept moving forward.

"Hey! Where are you going?" I heard Bastet call behind me. I didn't stop but continued running. I pushed forward through my gasping breath and the stitch in my side. Even as I ran, I could tell the jar was only getting further away. Then a giant animal leaped over me from behind and landed in my path. I skid to a stop at the sight of the enormous lioness that blocked me, cutting my heel doing so. It was much taller than me, and growled with menacing eyes. I knew from the slight glow to the eyes that this was the same goddess I had tried to ditch.

"I will not stop chasing after Anubis' heart!" I cried at the creature. "If you are the Eye of Ra, you should understand this much! Don't stand in my way!"

The lioness didn't move, but she wasn't growling either. I stood panting, hoping that I hadn't just made a horrible mistake. The dirt below her erupted and from the clouds ofdust the goddess walked towards me.

"You won't be able to catch a train on foot, little girl."

"A train?"

"That's the only thing moving that way." She sighed, and I heard her mumble something like, 'I can't believe I'm doing this.'

"I'll get you on the train. The rest you have to figure out yourself. Alright?"

"Alright."

"Good." The goddess turned around and once again I was standing before the giant lioness. She laid down and turned back to look at me.

"…You want me to climb on your back?" I asked. The lioness nodded. "Okay. Just… don't turn into a frisbee or something."

The goddess blinked, but otherwise she didn't react to my comment. I had to use the lioness' leg to climb on her back as I wouldn't be able to reach her back any other way; she was that huge. I tried to be gentle, but I couldn't pull myself up any other way than to dig my fingers in her fur for leverage. I managed to get on her back and pull myself close to her head. Then she took off.

Gods really need to consider things like saddles, or seat belts. Maybe harnesses. The ride on Bastet's back was equally as terrifying as riding on Horus the Elder's sun disk. I constantly felt like I was sliding off or would be thrown off by how much I bounced on her back. All I could do was grasp her short fur and hope that would be enough.

Ahead, train tracks curved into our path. Bastet ran over them and followed the tracks that straightened out to our left. It was a few more minutes of holding on before I saw the sun's light reflect against the train's metal exterior in the distance. We got closer, and as we did I could see the green glow of the canopic jar draw closer. The train had a modern exterior and was only seven cars long with windows along the sides. Well, except for the last two cars, it looked like the train was for passenger. The jar was in the second to last car, but Bastet ran past it.

"How are we going to get on?" I shouted. I could barely hear myself yell over the sound of the train and the wind beating into my ears. Of course, Bastet didn't reply but slowly pulled further away from the train as she ran. We reached the front car when Bastet made her move. She sharply took a left turn and I nearly slid off her back. I didn't have time to scream as she ran straight into the train.

It was an odd sensation, and not the sensation of colliding with a giant object like I was expecting. One moment I was strewn and an animal's back and the next I'm sitting upright in a cushioned chair. The sudden change of scenery made my head spin. I had to adjust to the open sky becoming ceilinged and being enclosed in a narrow space. In front of me I could see the tacky design of the chair covering repeated in rows of seats. Down a middle isle, a woman with short, curly hair approached me smiling while carrying tongs and a tray of rolled up towels.

"Warm towel?"

"Umm, sure…" She handed me a steamy towel with the tongs and continued asking the same question to those sitting behind me. I looked at how dark my filthy hands looked against the white towel, knowing it was only the power of Ma'at that kept her from asking how a filthy girl got into the first class car. I felt something soft tap at my arm and saw a small cat with a spotted bronze coat sitting in the seat next to me. The cat's tail flicked as it watched the stewards walking down the aisles.

I wiped all the grime from my face with the towel. I stared transfixed at the towel that's white surface was ruined. Its surface was now covered with dirt, black specs of sand, and rusted flakes of dried blood. I felt like I was sinking in a horror refreshed. I could still feel the grains of black sand in every crease of my body. It was like I never left, and I wondered if I would ever escape the duat.

"Oi. We're not here to indulge ourselves." I resurfaced to Bastet's golden eyes boring into mine. I had to remind myself why I was on a train in the first place.

"Yeah, just a sec." I pulled my blindfold on again and immersed myself into the black and white world. "The green glow is in the back cars."

"Green?" Bastet barked (or perhaps it should be hissed).

"Yeah. Anubis' heart always glows green."

Her eyes narrowed at me. "You're lying."

I replied, startled, "No I'm not. What does it matter what color it is?"

"It matters greatly. And that evil dog could never have a heart that's power is green in color. It must because you're human. A human shouldn't be the eye of a god."

"Are you always this pleasant to be around?" I asked sarcastically. I quickly regretted it when Bastet whipped around with a growl and destroyed the cushion of my head rest. She glared at me for a few moments while I held my breath. Then she disappeared. A small spotted cat jumped from the seat and ran to the back of the car. I gave myself a chance to pace my breathing again before standing to follow. Although the cut on my foot stung to walk on, I passed it off in my mind. There was worse pain.

I followed Bastet, going down the cars without as much as a glance from the other passengers. It was very ordinary the sound of business men typing on laptops and mothers distracting their children. They didn't feel real, so I ignored them as well. I could tell we were close. I reached for the door to next car, but a man with a buzz cut and beefy blocked me with his arm.

"Sorry, miss, but no passengers are allowed in the –"

He couldn't finish his sentence as Bastet appeared before him. She pushed him against the wall, holding his head back with only her thumb to his forehead. "You will create a distraction for us so we can enter the next car," she purred to him.

The man blinked and all emotion faded from his face. He opened a door to a number key pad I hadn't noticed and started punching some numbers.

I was unnerved by what had just happened and asked, "How did you do that?"

Bastet blinked benignly. "I always get what I want."

The door opened and the man led the way through the small space between the cars. "Why is he coming?"

"I can hear humans talking in the next car. Just keep low and be quiet." At Bastet's words I tensed myself as I followed the two.

The place we entered was not an area for passengers like the ones we had passed before. As soon as we entered we were faced with crates stacked on top of crates. The only light that came in glowed from the cracks between the boxes. The man we followed pointed us to take the path to the right while he turned left. We crept down the path until Bastet stopped at a small space ahead. Through the small crack I could see the source of light; a lamp on a table a group of men sat around.

"Sir," said the man we had followed before, "there is someone in the other car that refuses to leave unless allowed entry. How would you like to deal with this?"

The car was silent until finally one of the men spoke, "Tell them that if they continue to press this issue, they will be escorted off the train at the next stop. Try to imply that the next stop may not be at a station, if you would."

"Yes, sir." The man left the gathering and continued back to the door he had come in. From the sound of the door sliding open and the wind that whistled until it closed, I understood why we couldn't have sneaked in had we been alone.

I tried to peak around the cracks to see what these men looked like. I could see the backs of two who dressed in Arab robes and had curly black hair peaking from their… whatever you call those hats. There were three other men, one standing and the other two sitting. I could not see two of them, but the one that spoke was in my view. I knew he was Australian from his accent. He wore a deep colored button up shirt, and he had his black hair gelled into spikes.

He smiled at the Arab looking men and said, "Now that that is taken care of, how about instead of selling these two items separately, we pair them together and…" After the man started speaking for a while, it became hard to listen. The man standing next him began to speak at the same time, repeating everything he had just said with slight variation. The only reason I could come up with was that he was interpreting, but I could still understand whatever language he spoke.

I heard Bastet growl next to me, her eyes glaring at the men negotiating in the space ahead. "Grave robbers."

"They're grave robbers?" I whispered.

She lightly tapped the crate in front of her and said, "All these are filled with antiques from my home. There are some magic artifacts among them as well."

"You mean they're from Egypt? But I thought there were only grave robbers in the old days?"

Bastet's slitted eyes steadied on me. "Oh, no. They still exist. Much of the old tombs and temples have been buried over the millennia and homes exist on top of them. There is no stopping someone from digging beneath their own house and selling what they find." Bastet growled again and grumbled, "I won't let these thieves pillage my land."

"If these are Egyptian artifacts, then the canopic jar must be mixed with them."

"Can you see it?"

I focused on the green light over Bastet's shoulder and judged how far away it was. I replied, "It's in one of the boxes in the back."

"You get the jar and get off this car. I'll wait until you're done."

"What are you going to do?"

The goddess smirked and purred, "I'm going to take my stuff back." With that, she changed back into a cat and escape between the crates.

I moved to look for the jar but I was stopped by a hand on my shoulder. I jumped and turned to see a black, transparent figure crouched beside me. I could only see its silhouette and it was hard to judge if it was on the wall or close to me. ' _Sheut_ ' Thoth had called it; my shadow. Its presence surprised me. The shadow lifted its hand and in it was a crowbar. I couldn't fathom how a shadow could touch me or hand me objects, but I didn't think asking this would achieve much. I took the crowbar and gazed into the shadow trying to find any sort of face in the black figure.

"Anubis?" I whispered.

The shadow flickered, and again it was stretched on the wall as it should be. I watched to see if it would move without me, but it stayed steady with my own movements. I couldn't wait around, so I pushed the mystery to the back of my mind and made my way to the back of the car.

It wasn't so easy to move silently. The train was still moving full speed making it harder to keep balance. I did the best I could to slip silently through the crates without attracting the attention of the grave robbers. I edged along the wall until the crate I needed was in front of me.

The crate was one that wasn't completely boarded up but had cracks so you could easily peer inside. The whole crate was filled with an assortment of canopic jars. They had various heads of not just jackals, but also a man, monkey, and bird with pharaoh headdresses. Some were more weathered than others. There were some that were cracked in half or had a missing ear or nose. I could barely make out the position of the one I needed. I squeezed my hand in through the crack, but my hand wouldn't fit through enough to reach it.

I lifted the crowbar my own shadow had just given me. Had it known? It must have, but I couldn't see how it could. If the _sheut_ serve Anubis, then I could guess it's because of him that my shadow would help me. For some reason, I couldn't decide if I was comforted by this or not.

I wedged the crowbar where the nails held the board together. I did this slowly, wiggling it so I could get it apart without making sound that would alert the other men. I got it looser, but then it got stuck. I tried to pull it out, applying more and more pressure. I ended up putting too much force into it. The crowbar twisted the board and ripped the nails out with a loud crack.

"Hey! Who's there?" came the shouts and the scuffle of feet. I panicked and threw my hand into the crate to only knock down half the jars, including the one I needed. They smashed loudly onto the floor. I quickly grabbed a jar that hadn't broken and shuffled through the mess I had made. I was softly whimpering as I heard the footsteps running towards me. I found amongst the broken jars a glowing piece of dark flesh. I quickly snatched the still beating heart piece and started running the opposite direction of the footsteps. As I turned a corner, I met eye to eye with the Australian in the dark shirt.

"Stop right there!"

"Don't let her get away!"

I rounded the rows of crates and turned the corner to the door. There was no one there and I didn't stop. As I got closer to the way out, the whole car rocked, nearly throwing me to the floor. My back slammed against some boxes and I steadied myself. I threw myself at the door, and was able to get into the next car as the one I just left started to shake violently.

"Hey! Where did you come from?" said the man that had led us in before. Obviously he was out of his trance, but I wasn't going to stop for him. I saw his hand go to his waist band, but he noticed the turmoil in the next car and turned his attention from me.

Car to car, I ran clutching the heart and jar to my chest getting away from the end of the train. I didn't rest until I was in the first class car I had come in. I sank into an empty seat and panted for air.

"Are you done with your towel?" The woman from before asked pleasantly. I was so bewildered I stared at her until she pointed to the seat next to me and repeated, "Your towel?" I lethargically noticed the towel I had wiped myself off with before. I picked it up, my hand now completely black from the heart's blood, and silently handed it back to her. "Thank you," she chimed sweetly and walked away without any sign of alarm.

I watched her back retreat until she was out of sight. I stared blankly until I was pulled from my lethargy by a soft pounding in my clutched hand. I opened it and stared at the pulsing organ in my hand. I was odd. Normally I am normally so squeamish I can't sit through a simple zombie movie without getting sick. Yet I was so fascinated by the heart's beating that I felt no nausea. It had no blood chambers or veins to bump blood with, yet it continued its quick pace without a care. It made me wonder what it was that kept a god alive that even their heart wouldn't notice the absence of their body.

I couldn't keep it out, though. I could only imagine what sort of contamination it already has from falling on the floor and me holding it. I took the new jar in my lap and was about to twist the head off but was caught off guard by and object thrust to me in the corner of my eye. I quickly twisted myself away to realize my _sheut_ had returned.

And this time it was handing me a gun.

I stared at the shiny medal of the weapon and at the transparent, black figure. I didn't want to take it. I didn't like what it meant when the crowbar had been given to me when I would need it. I narrowed my eyes at the unmoving figure.

"Why should I trust you?"

The _sheut_ lifted its hand and from it a wisp of shadow floated from it. It turned into a shadow against the seat in front of me and twisted until it spelled a message.

_Because I am you._

I looked at the message, and then back at its speaker. My _sheut_ held out the handgun inviting me to take it. Reluctantly, I took hold of the handle. As soon as I did, the _sheut_ retreated back below me. I couldn't help but look behind me to make sure the bad feeling I had meant nothing. Be it fate, I could see the man guarding the door before stomping to my car.

In a flutter of panic, I replaced the heart piece in the canopic jar. Having nothing to conceal it in, I placed it behind me in the seat using my body to hide it. My blindfold I stuffed into my pocket. I took a magazine from the seat in front of me and draped it over my legs. I kept my hands under it, holding the hand gun as I kept it between my knees.

I flinched when I heard the whistle of the wind as the door was pulled open, but I kept my head bent over the magazine. The man's heavy footsteps went down the lane slowly until he was right next to me. I couldn't breathe and I felt the corners of my eyes burning. He took another step and continued down the lane. Then the steward who had served me the towel came into car looking very flustered.

"Sir, this area is only for first-class passengers. Could you show me your ticket?"

The man showed her something from his pocket and said, "I'm looking for a stowaway. Seen anyone come in here?"

"Not at all. If I see anything, I'll be sure to let you know."

"Much obliged," he responded curtly. He turned to leave and his eyes rested on me. In a split second he backed away and reached to his waist to his gun holster only to find it empty. At the same moment I stood from my seat letting the magazine fall. I pointed his gun at him.

The whole train car reacted. People screamed and scrambled on the floor hiding from me. A girl behind the man I pointed the gun at was curled up balling at being in the line of fire without any way to hide. The man froze, but his eyes darted around his surroundings trying to find some way out. Some way to stop him.

I was shaking horribly. I had my thumb resting on the safety yet I couldn't make myself pull it back. This man may be prepared to injure or even kill me. I had to protect myself. Yet in my mind's eye I saw thousands of feeble souls flooding over endless landscape of black sand for a meager meal of bread and water. I saw Andy smiling at me, and them lifeless as Ammit viciously closed in on him. I could feel currents of a sea of sand beating against me and the jaws of an awaiting serpent to swallow me.

I wouldn't be able to do it. Even if this man tried to kill me, I wouldn't be able to defend myself against him. At this realization, I abandoned my stance and ran away. I heard him take pursuit after me. I ran to the front of the car where I saw the steward disappear to earlier. There was a concession area to one side and a bathroom to the other. I pulled open the bathroom's door and swung it closed behind me. I clicked the lock a split second before I heard the man's body slam against the door. I yelled a stream of curses and threats while he pounded against the door.

The first thing I did was throw the gun to the ground. I hated that my _sheut_ had given it to me. It only showed how much more powerless I really am. I hugged the canopic jar to my chest, having picked it up before running away. The space was small with only a toilet and sink. I quickly realized that I was trapped. It would only be a matter of time before the guard wrestled the door free and had me.

"Someone help me…" I mumbled through streaks of tears. "Anubis, Bastet… someone…" I backed into the corner furthest from the door. I clutched at the jar and myself as I saw from the window the landscape slowly passing by. Then I really looked at the window. It was small, but I guess I was small enough to slide through. The train looked to be steadily slowing down as well.

I clambered to the floor to find the gun I had discarded. By my head the door's wood made a cracking sound at one of the guard's slams. I shrieked, but otherwise kept away from the door. I placed the jar on the floor and held the gun by the XXXX with both hands. With all my strength I swung the gun at the window, but it bounced back. I didn't try again. It was obvious it was a synthetic glass and wouldn't be broken so easily.

I climbed onto the sink. I pulled the safety of the gun back and pointed it at the ground outside, not wanting to hit anything from shooting recklessly. "Please work," I whispered and pulled the trigger. With a loud bang, the gun fired. I wasn't ready for the recoil, my gun slamming into my shoulder. The window now had a circular hole in it. This time when I hit the gun at the window it broke. I ran the gun along the edges to get rid of any remaining edges and unceremoniously threw the gun out the window.

I grabbed the jar and took a deep breath. I went head first out and sat on the ledge with my body outside the train. I was near the end of the car with a metal bar near me. I pulled myself out more, getting to my feet as best I could. With only one hand, I didn't have many options for getting over. I gripped a beveled ledge above me to steady myself, and then threw myself at the handlebar.

I grasped it for a moment but I couldn't hold onto it with my momentum. I fell and only had time to twist myself around to protect the jar. My back slammed into the ground knocking the air out of me. I kept tumbling over hitting every bump and thorn branch on the way. I finally came to a stop on my back. I stared up at the blue sky while my body screamed in pain.

I rolled my head to stare at the retreating train. I noticed the last two cars were missing, yet when I looked in the other direction, I couldn't see where it had been left behind at. They had simply disappeared. I couldn't bring myself to care about the train or where I was. I closed my eyes and silently looked at the gray and white sky.

Something hit against my head. I turned around to see it was a foot, its owner standing over me. Her gold cat eyes watched me like I was a mouse she couldn't muster the appetite to kill.

"Get what you need?"

I lifted one of my arms to reveal the canopic jar as a reply.

"Alright. Get up. We're done here."

I obliged, albeit without some difficulty. My back and shoulders were screaming at me, and the weight of standing made it feel worse. I hobbled over to Bastet, happy to have her call the shots.

Her lipped curled and she turned away from me. It took her a moment to come up with a new course of action. "Dammit, I guess there's no other way. Come here. I know an easier way to travel." She stood directly in front of me and, like the mad guarding the door on the train, she rested a thumb over my forehead and her other hand on my shoulder. "This will feel strange, but stay still."

The moment she finished saying this, my entire vision filled with a blinding light. I felt pressure that pressed at me from all sides. I endured this for a moment and then the light faded away. I looked around at what had been a barren landscape. I was now standing in the middle of a town bustling with life. Cars drove by and people walked the streets past us. The sky was no longer blue but the bright colors of pinks and purples. The street lights above shined onto us.

"Is it… evening?" I asked.

Bastet replied, "I said it would be easier, not faster."

She walked down the street and I followed. She guided us to a hotel not far from where we… teleported or whatever just happened. The place was a decent size. Inside was a large lobby area and a long service desk made of a fine polished wood. Bastet talked with them to get us a room, but I hung back to wait. My mind was sluggish. I couldn't decide if it was because of all that happened or because I hadn't slept since gods know when. I didn't really care which it was. I just wanted the day to end.

Bastet came back with a card in hand and we went to the elevator. She pressed for the top floor and the doors slowly slid shut. After everything that had happened I would think I could easily get through an elevator ride. But my luck didn't work like that. My body turned a hundred degrees hotter. My vision tunneled out until I couldn't see anymore. I couldn't feel where I was anymore. All I was aware of was the voice the vibrated through my entire conscious.

_I will be Tomorrow and – will be – called Dua_

_The Wind's lyric – free – the petals_

_The Petals will survive the Drought, the Seed to join – deceived_

_So that the Jackel will no longer be deaf to the Wind's words_

_In the end, neither Seed nor Drought will plague the Jackal_

_will whither –_

"Hey! Don't give out on me now!" came a sharp voice, different from the one I just heard. My vision started to come back to me. I was surprised to be on the floor of the elevator. The door was open waiting for us to depart. Bastet was crouched next to me, grasping at my shoulders. She didn't have an expression with any sort of concern, but at least she didn't look annoyed at me either.

"Can you stand?"

"Yeah… I'm fine." I got pack on my feet and followed her out. Our room wasn't far. She swiped her card and opened the door to a large space. Of course it was a suite. The room we entered was a living area with sofas and a large TV, a bedroom connected around the corner. Bastet was already inspecting the place, but I didn't bother to look around and crashed on the sofa.

"This place will work, I suppose. You should take a bath. You reek worse than you did in the duat."

I ignored Bastet. All I wanted her to do was shut up and leave me alone. I curled on the sofa with the canopic jar cradled to my chest. Although I couldn't close my eyes without seeing it glowing, the anxiety I normally felt was gone with my prize at hand. I relaxed my soar body and quickly drifted to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *The prophecy here is the B's in the ABABAB pattern. If you go back you can now put the prophecy together and read it in full (and, yes, I'm terrible at poetry. Forgive me).


	15. Failures at Trusting All Around

**Chapter 15: Failures at Trusting All Around**

It is so hot, I can't breathe. Waves of heat pound on me with each hurricane of air that gusts against me. Even the grass in my clasped hands is warm from the fire. And it is too bright. Much too bright to be night.

No…

People are coming. From their houses they come in nightgowns and pajamas. They stand transfixed at the terrible beauty of the fire. They are faces I recognize from living here my whole life. They are faces I see every day, of kids I would play with, their parents and the other families here. Did they know what the fire burned?

NOOOOOOOO!

I lift myself off the ground and run to that powerful light. The air's ocean of heat continues to pound its waves against my skin. It lifts and pushes my hair in a chaotic dance. But I am stopped by a man much taller than me. A familiar face. He speaks words that are lies. A cruel reality. I don't listen. I don't want to know.

"I WANT MY MOMMY! I NEED TO GET MOMMY AND DADDY! NO!"

I struggle against the large hands that restrain me. My body is so crazy with movement; I no longer know which way I'm facing or what I'm fighting against.

This isn't happening…

"THEY'RE NOT GONE! LET ME GO! I WON'T LEAVE THEM!"

Teeth find flesh, and my mouth is filled with the metallic taste of blood. A distant shout. I am no longer restrained and I take off toward the dancing flames. There are more shouts behind me, but they mean nothing. I run like a jackal into the fire.

I enter my home to be in a lush, green forest of reeds. They grow unforgivingly clustered tightly, towering me so I can't see where I am. I force my way between the reeds, and they beat back at me for daring to make a path through them. The mud beneath my feet tries to hold me into its embrace. My feet kick hard off the ground just to keep moving.

They're not gone… DON'T LEAVE ME!

I can hear the singing of birds, but they are always far away, out of my reach. I search desperately for them, not knowing where I am going. Everything is a monotone of green reeds in every direction. They grow denser and denser the further I go. Before long I can even find a piece of land large enough to fit my feet into.

SOMEONE! PLEASE!

I break through into a narrow clearing. I see the back of a figure standing at its end. The god walks away from me about to escape into the maze of reeds.

"ANUBIS!"

The figure stops and whisks its head around. Chestnut brown eyes steady on me. The young boy turns. As he faces me, he offers his hand invitingly towards me. I break into the run. The mud is relentlessly holding me back. I pound my feet from it feeling it try to hold my feet down like vines trapping my feet. But I push on and nearly collide into the boy giving me his hand. I gladly take the hand, relieved to not be alone.

But this hand doesn't belong to the same boy. Instead of looking into chestnut eyes, my eyes gaze into ice blue. Amun smiles as his grasp tightens around my hand.

* * *

 

I woke up from my dream with a start. As my prize for waking up, I received many licks to the face until my face was liberally covered in drool. I was startled enough that it took me a moment to realize it was Paws that was greeting me with his tongue in his overly excited way.

"Paws, down," a boy's voice said near me.

Paws snuck in one more lick on my nose before retreating as the voice commanded. I barely noticed as the sound of his voice had me frozen. A lump was blocking my shuttered breath. Was I really so afraid of him? A moment before I had only the lethargic thoughts of a person pulling herself from sleep, yet now I was swarming with emotions, many of which I couldn't define.

I was still lying on the couch, and Anubis was crouched at my feet. He didn't look at me as I turned my head to him. He was focused on the bandage he was diligently wrapping around my foot. At first, I was slightly at awe at how swift and precise his hands moved. Then my stomach turned when I understood why. How many mummies has he wrapped before?

Even after he had finished, he turned his back on me as he put away his materials. In some odd way I was comforted. I hadn't been sure what to expect from him. At least now I knew he was upset with me.

Finally he stood and sat on the coffee table across from me where I could easily see him. He looked drawn down, like gravity was pulling down harder on him. I couldn't read his expression. He didn't speak at all but only stared at me impassively. I eventually couldn't stand it and pulled out the canopic jar that had been clutched to my chest the entire time I slept. I held it out for him to take. He glanced at it and for I moment I thought he would take it. Instead, he pushed it away from him. For a moment, I had déjà vu.

He was about to say something, but then sighed and looked away. The silence seemed to drag and slow down everything. After what felt like a few days wait, he sighed again and quietly said, "I don't know what to do with you."

His exasperation sank in deep, but in a disconnected way I replied, "That's simple. I'm your canopic jar tracker."

"I trusted you."

He didn't say it with anger, but I understood his anger was misplaced, literally. The force of the meaning was still there. I met his eyes and the look of hurt and betrayal were clearly written in them. Yet it didn't affect me. I was only watching a movie of him, not really here. I could only think how strange it looked for him to wear that face.

"Is trust an emotion?" I asked.

"I don't care." I heard the first aid kit slide on the glass as he stood with it. "I hope you understand how lucky you are to be alive. You should never leave my side in the duat."

"You killed my friend," I choked. Without even meaning it, my eyes spilled over with tears. The room felt cold and I unconsciously started rubbing my hands together close to me. He towered over me, keeping his face away from my sight.

"It wasn't my decision," he whispered. He left my side, taking the canopic jar with him as he did. Paws came over and laid his head by mine. I sank my fingers into his fur as my chest began to heave compulsively.

"Thank you," I heard before the door clicked shut.

* * *

 

There are three days I have no memory of. We must have left that hotel in Australia. I can't say what kind of face Anubis wore when we left. I don't know if Bastet was still there, though I'm guessing she wasn't. I woke up one day in my bed on Anubis' boat. I felt entirely numb. It reminded me of my parent's funeral, and at the memory I wanted to turn around and return to sleep.

Instead I sat up and grabbed my tablet from the side table. I barely saw it, not because my room was dark, but another image was fixed in my mind. I believed it was a dream; a field of white flowers slowly dyed in brown and blown away like autumn leaves. They made me remember what I had forgotten, and I felt the urge to hold on to it.

I pulled up a notebook app and wrote everything I remembered hearing:

_The petals will survive the drought._

_I am Yesterday and Tomorrow._

_Prophecy_

_The seed not the drought_

_A storm_

_The jackal will whither_

I stopped at the last words I wrote. The scribbles carried no meaning to me, but the voice purred in my ears, "The jackal… will wither…"

My heart felt too heavy to carry the words. I ignored them and repeatedly circled the word "prophecy". It was what stuck to me the most, and I felt that if I knew what it was, it would explain why the world was filled with glowing jars I had to hunt down. It may even tell me about how everything will end and how Anubis will come to wither.

But I couldn't look at it anymore. Giant serpents were clawing at my mind and my hands were black with sand. I threw my blanket over my head and returned to oblivion.

It was the stomping on the stairs that woke me. Someone was going down them, pausing, going back up, pausing, and repeating. Eventually the stranger gave up and went back upstairs. I was left lying in bed, staring at the ceiling wondering how long I had been asleep.

In my stupor, I got up and sat on the edge of the bed rubbing the sleep from my eyes. On the bedside table next to my tablet sat a bowl that had been used and scrapped clean. When had I eaten? I could not recall what had been in the bowl at all. I stared at curiously, thinking of how out of place it was.

Negative thoughts started so swarm me. I hated the bowl was here. I hated how I was here. What had become of me? I smelled of body odor and I could feel my hair was a maze of knots. The skin around my eyes was irritated and itchy. In the past hours (days?) I've felt like I wanted to silently cry in a corner and scream at the top of my lungs at the same time.

But now I was just exhausted; tired of being in bed doing nothing when I was completely unaware if the world still existed. Yet every time I thought of getting up or moving around, the image of Ammit the Devourer being unleashed by Anubis, taking away the heart of the person that had driven me to leave home from the beginning would appear in my mind's eye.

How could I face him again? I've been fooling myself trying to understand the hollow puppet of the god I had given myself in service to. I didn't understand him, and the more pieces of his heart I returned, the more he will become a different person; a stranger. I hated it. Egyptian law and legends were always supposed to be stories that left me with the nostalgia my parents left behind. I had never thought of what the implications of the laws would be in reality.

As I thought of it, I started to wonder if this was my fault. Once again Andy Darnell had been walking away to a horrible fate and I didn't bother to stop him, warn him, or just talk to him. I was oblivious to reality, both when I was just a girl in high school and now that I was the Eye of Anubis. But now I had no excuses. I should have known better. Had I not encountered gods and see their lethal powers? Hadn't the stories I heard as a child proven to be true more than once? Did I not stop him because I foolishly believed there should always be a happy ending?

There were some steps on the stairs, slowly thumping one step at a time. The sound of the creaks and thuds seemed to clear my mind. Who am I to blame anyone when I carry so many faults in myself? I had always, always let Andy down. I could either dwell on it, or make sure Anubis wasn't next on the list of people I have failed, even if he was a stranger.

My mind following this new direction, I crossed the room and swung open the door, the action not bringing back horrible flashbacks as they had before. There was a thud in the hallway right by my door that startled me. I looked out in the hall, and standing by my door was Anubis, his hand holding his head, obscuring his face.

"Are you okay?" I asked the slumped figure.

He peaked at me through his fingers before running his hand through his hair. I couldn't tell his mood, but he seemed tense. 'That should be my question' I heard him mumble as he avoided me eyes. I was about to respond to his remark, but he quickly added in a normal tone, "Do you want to see the Great Wall or not? I don't want to hover over that place any longer if you're not up to going."

He was a bit cross, but not outright angry. It took me a moment to think of how I should respond to him. "Yeah… yeah, I can go."

"Alright." His nose twitched a little before he quickly put his back to me. As he went back up the stairs, he said, "Get ready and come on deck." When he was gone, I sniffed at my shoulder and scowled. Yeah, a dog nosed boy like him would definitely smell that.

I banged the side of my head on the door. Of course Anubis is acting differently. I was pretty sure his trust was returned to him and I spent the first 24 hours after giving him that emotion completely betraying his trust. He was changing into a new person with every jar I collected. I had no idea what that new jar from the train did for him either.

I gave my head another good old, useless bang on the wooden siding before going off to wash off several days of mourning.

* * *

 

I could happily report that the world did indeed still exist. It had been a while since I had had any fresh air or moved around. We were, as usual during these trips, surrounded by tourist from all parts of the world. It was odd to be around people but welcomed. Although I felt as though I had come from an alien planet from them, I was tired of being isolated.

Paws was also rejoicing the freedom, running down the long stretch of the walls, teasing excited children, and scaring off any birds that dared to be in his path. But even through his rambunctious banter, he would not let me leave his sight. He kept me under his vision like a hawk which broke my heart. There was a time that Anubis had checked out on us so I recognized his behavior for what it was.

For all of Paws' enthusiasm, Anubis was quite the opposite. It was normal for him to follow along without much interest. However, this time he stuck to leaning against the wall, is head hanging down like he was sea-sick. I hadn't realized he wasn't following us and had another scare like at Iguazu falls. I ran against the current of tourists with my eyes on the ground to see if he had collapsed on the ground. But I finally spotted his black and auburn hair at the edge of the wall.

I shook his shoulder and asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yes… No, I feel horrible. I wish I didn't have to come here."

I cocked an eyebrow. "What's wrong with this place? You're going to have a hard time convincing me you're afraid of heights."

He shook his head. "It's the rotting souls."

"What rotting souls?"

"In the walls."

I looked below me, like I was supposed to see dead bodies in the stone walls or something. Behind me, Anubis said, "The men that died while building this wall had their bodies thrown inside it. They continued to build the wall over the corpses like they weren't there. Their souls have been trapped in the crushed skin and bones of their old body since then. All I can hear is hundreds of screaming voices, but I can't do anything for them."

"Why didn't you save their souls back then?"

"Different laws then." He didn't explain any further and merely slumped his head over the ledge once again.

"Why don't you just head back to the boat then?"

He barely lifted his head to look at me through the parts of his hair. It was a bit unsettling for him to look at me that way. He studied me for a moment and heaved a sigh, "No, I don't need you running away again."

"Oh come on. Don't start acting like a responsible babysitter because I slipped up one time." He straightened up looking offended by my word choice, but I ignored him. "Look, it'll be fine. I just want to reach that tower up there and we can leave. Besides, there really aren't that many places for me to run away to unless I want to brave jumping off the wall."

Anubis glared at me, clearly not liking the idea. Finally, he said, "Keep Paws with you, alright?"

"I wouldn't know what to do without him."

"Alright." He gave one last glance at the hills, and then took his leave. Our boat was an odd sight hovering to the side of the wall down the path. In actuality, I would have to brave the jump off the wall to get into the boat. But first I would reach the higher tower to look at the view.

I made my hike up the wall, with Paws eventually trailing behind me as I did. The scenery really was beautiful. The hills weren't as impressive as the ones at Machu Pichu, but they had their own magnificence. Mist was clinging in the air swallowing the most distant hills from sight. There were birds singing and flitting in and out of the trees below us. On the wall you felt above it all; an outsider to the scene yet seeing everything.

It didn't take long for me to reach the tower. The inside was empty save for one boy leaning out of one of the ledges to look at the scenery. Usually, I would pay strangers no mind and find my own space. But I knew it would be impossible with him. I joined him, leaning my arms on the ledge and looking out at the misty horizon.

"Why do you always have to come to ruin my vacations?" I asked the boy.

Amun chuckled and responded, "It's hard to get you alone. We wouldn't want Anubis to see us and think you're talking to invisible entities."

"Or you could just stop following me."

"That's rude. I just happen to be in the area at the same time as you. I'm being friendly by visiting."

"What would you need to do in–? You know what? I don't care. There's no point with you."

He smirked, and started to lean closer to me. I completely jumped away from him, not forgetting what sort of power this creepy, kissing god had. Undeterred, he cornered me and reached a hand out to my face. He pulled it back away while saying, "You had a beetle in your hair." As proof, he held out his hand with the beetle scurrying across his palm.

I couldn't even give a retort I was so shaken. I was embarrassed and ashamed of how easily he could rile my emotions. And it was like a game to him it seemed. I ignored him and leaned back on the edge. I didn't want to look at him, but I couldn't leave just yet either. He rejoined me with a chuckle. "Don't worry. I'm not here for that."

"You knew the whole time."

"Hmm?" I could tell from his voice I had surprised him, but I still didn't want to look at him. "I know everything, but you'll have to be a bit more specific.

"That I'm the eye of Anubis."

I could see in the corner of my eye a smile from the memory of our first meeting. "Well, you have to admit, you do have pretty large eyes."

"All the better to see you with." He laughed, like we were kicking back and talking about the good old days. I finally looked him in the eye and said, "That's it then? I can see you because I'm the eye of a god?"

He tilted his head with an abashed grin. "That's part of it, I suppose."

"Uggh…" I groaned and hung my head. "Direct answers aren't your forte," I grumbled.

"No, they aren't" he happily agreed. "I'm the god of hidden truths. They wouldn't be hidden if I blabbered them out to everyone I meet."

I quietly ignored him, now very irritated. All I wanted was for him to leave so I could get back onto the boat. But he lingered by me. "Hey, how about to make up for your obvious dislike of me, I'll give you some direct advice. What do you say?"

"What kind of advice could you possibly give?"

"Don't give the next jar you find immediately to Anubis. You'll want to hold on to it for a while."

I glanced at him perplexed. "Why?"

He smiled and replied, "Trust me."

* * *

 

It only took ten seconds to come to the conclusion that being on top of Mount Everest wasn't as fun as I thought it would be.

Anubis was shocked that I wanted to go there (and, trust me, it was clearly written on his face), but nonetheless obliged to my request. I thought it was pretty clever to think of using a flying boat to stand on the tallest peak in the world, although Anubis was quick to point out there are some god exclusive places that are higher up than Mount Everest. I ignored him.

However, even with the coats, gloves, hat, and protective eye gear I picked up in a small town in Nepal, it was completely miserable at the mountain's peak. The wind blew the snow so that any exposed skin felt like it was being blasted raw by a sand blower. I didn't feel like I was breathing air but rather breathing in ice. The extreme low temperature zapped all of my energy. It took a lot of my will power to move my shaking limbs the couple of feet back to the boat.

"That didn't take long," Anubis remarked as I started shedding myself of my winter gear.

"Well, I can at least say I've been on top of Mount Everest, and that's all that matters."

"Right." I picked up my pile of discarded clothes and headed to the kitchen where I could make some warm cocoa.

It had been about a month since I had left my room and visited the great wall. In that time, we have been zigzagging over mainly Russia and China with the occasional other countries like Mongolia, Thailand, and Vietnam. I had managed over these weeks to keep my mind off of my previous adventures and enjoy seeing the various sights these countries offered. It was only when I slept my nightmares reminded me of the trauma I had endured not so long ago.

Perhaps my favorite visit was in Laos where we went to a town along the Lao river. What was so cool about the place was the river that shot out burning fireballs. I thought they were some sort of silent fireworks or something until I heard a tour guide passing by explaining it was a natural phenomenon that science had no explanation for.

"It sounds like there may be some built up gas under the river. But then again, I don't know how it would catch on fire," I pondered.

"There's a giant serpent in the river that's shooting them out," replied Anubis.

"You're kidding, right?" I asked jokingly. I laughed but then caught my breath at the stern expression Anubis wore. I stopped in my tracks, but, saying nothing at all, Anubis continued down the river's path. "No, you're not joking…" I had glanced at the river and quickly caught up with Anubis.

But what may have been more amusing over the past month was watching how Anubis handled his newly awakened emotion. For instance, just now, as I pulled out some milk and chocolate mix, I carelessly closed a drawer so it snapped shut with a loud bang. Anubis came in just in time to be startled by the noise and recoiled several steps back, his face one of someone caught completely off guard.

It felt strange to me to think of being surprised as an emotion. I had always thought it was more of an instinctual reaction. That said, I couldn't deny that Anubis has shown such a drastic change from before, jumping like a scaredy-cat at everything that made noise. There were even times I've seen him jump at seemingly nothing. Though it was a funny sight to see a god be so jumpy, I could also tell it was taking a toll on him. The emotion was fresh so he was very sensitive to being surprised. If we had another jar, he wouldn't be so easily startled, but we had been traveling for weeks with no sign of a jar. And, of course, there was Amun's warning still lingering in my thoughts.

"I wonder if you can still have a heart attack without having a complete heart," I teased.

Anubis looked taken aback like he hadn't thought of that before. The one good thing that has come out from the jumpy Anubis is seeing him have more emotional reactions to my words. I had started to think he had little interest in what I had to say. My remarks would often times be met with a blank face and a long silence. Now I knew that the things I say usually surprises him. It could just be that Anubis has never spent so much time with an American teenager, but I was pleased that I didn't bore him after all.

He cocked his head in thought and soon responded, "I couldn't have a heart attack from being startled, but I have seen people die from fright. Even so, I'm skeptical a god could actually die from that. That's something Imhotep would know."

"It was a joke, Anubis," I said, handing him a mug and taking a sip from mine. "So, who's Imhotep?"

"The god of medicine. We passed over where he works about a week ago."

"Did we? Why didn't you stop by for a visit?"

Anubis smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. "My showing up at a hospital is never a good thing." He stood from the table holding up his mug. "Thanks for the drink. If there aren't any more mountains you want to freeze yourself on then I'll get us sailing at full speed."

"Yeah… I mean, no, I don't want to be an icicle again."

"Good." He left the room without further ado, leaving me sitting alone with my steaming cocoa that didn't seem enough to warm me up anymore.

Feeling bored sitting in the silence, I dragged my tablet to myself and started fiddling with it. I ended up pulling up 'CanopicGPS' and watched the coordinates for the boat cursor update. I finally completed this app a few weeks before, working out all the bugs and quirks on my own without my uncle's encyclopedic knowledge of programming. After drilling Anubis and Paws of where we've traveled (of which Paws proved his genius by being more knowledgeable than Anubis), I had a clear map of where we have been showing the range of my Eye of Anubis powers so that no place went unsearched. The app had several other features that were probably frivolous, but the obsessive organizer in me demanded I include everything I could.

It was while staring at the screen that felt a tug in my stomach made my heart race. It slammed into me suddenly instead of creeping up on me as it usually did. I had to cover my mouth from the hot cocoa that threatened to come back out. I jumped out of my chair, already tugging my bandana from my neck to tie over my eyes.

I couldn't find where the glow of the jar was when I came out on deck. I looked ahead, to my left and right and even below and didn't see it at all. It wasn't until I did a complete 360 that I finally saw a green light among the mirage of greys. I went around the cabin to the back of the boat to see it better. It was directly north from us. It made no sense, because we had already flown over where the glow was coming from and my instincts told me it wasn't that far away from us either.

Anubis and Paws were in the bridge, and reacted immediately at the sight of me in my blindfold. "Where is it?" he asked.

"Directly north of here," I replied.

His brow furrowed, also aware how impossible it was that we would pass by a jar without noticing it. "Is it moving?"

"Not that I can tell. Maybe? I'll be able to tell when we get closer."

"Right. Paws, turn us around. Keep us on course, Nakia."

"Aye aye, captain," I said, and Paws barked which probably meant the same thing. His teeth sunk into the much gnawed into steering wheel and the boat began to swing back to where we came from.

* * *

 

The jar was in Tibet, the plateau in the western part of China. The land here had barely any vegetation, the landscape a continuous plane of dirt and stone. Yet, despite the barren soil, the sky was full of towering clouds, unforgivingly keeping their moisture high out of reach.

There was no town here. All that was here was a single tower sitting on top of a small hill. It was old, its brick walls painted white save for the yellow and red at its highest peaks. The roofs curved upward as many traditional Chinese buildings do. Drifting from the tower were streams of multicolored flags, like those you would see at a car dealer ship. There was a sizable crowd gathered for what looked like a celebration.

"I don't like this," Anubis said, and I nodded. We were sure something wasn't right about this jar. Having so many people here isolated without anyway to leave quickly made it even worse.

"I think it's past the temple, though, so the jar may not be very close to the temple."

Anubis nodded. We left Paws to the boat as the two of us wadded into the crowds. There were many monks and people native of this region dressed in colorful robes. It was like jumping back in time walking through this place. There were people dancing to music and a crowd surrounding them to watch. Anubis watched with interest as monks would spin a sort of cylinder as they prayed. Further down people were writing on colorful flags and tying them to ropes hanging off of the tower. There were bulls draped in colorful fabrics being pulled through the crowd.

I heard Anubis gasp. At first I didn't think much of it as Anubis has often been caught off guard in the past weeks. It was when he held his arm out to stop me that I realized something wasn't right. I looked at him to see his stare transfixed to something up ahead. I followed his gaze.

Through the crowd came another bull, but this one wasn't pulled by an owner nor was it dressed in any lavish garments. Three children walked beside it, two boys and a girl; all of them of different races, and all of them completely naked. They were covered in dirt, and the little blond girl's hair was matted together that it didn't even look like hair anymore.

The black bull was watching us while it walked by, as did the children that walked at its side. However, the children's eyes were blank, with no iris or pupil. I felt uneasy, and grabbed at Anubis' arm just to know he was close. The muscles in his arm was tense, and he jumped slightly when a touched him. But his gaze stayed locked with the bull as it slowly trudged past us.

The continued their way walking far past us, but the children didn't stop looking at us. It was when the young girl stopped and stood in the distance still gazing at us that something happened.

Anubis, the children, bull and temple all vanished. I was once again standing in a valley filled with white flowers, a place I have repeatedly visited in my nightmares. The petals began to discolor and shrivel until it was nothing more than dead stalks. A large gust of wind sweeps the dead petals away, and with the petals the valley disappears. I was kneeling on the ground of an arid field. I could hear a muffled sound and something was shaking my shoulders. I looked up and saw that Anubis was crouched beside me. He said something, it sounded distant but I could hear my name in it. It took a moment until his voice sounded clear again.

"Please tell me you can hear me, Nakia?"

"Yeah, yeah," I stuttered. "I'm okay."

"… Did Apis speak to you?"

I was silent for a moment not really sure what to say. "… okay, I'm pretty sure I completely misunderstood what you said. A what now?"

"The Apis bull. Did you speak to you?"

"Oh! The bull's name is Apis. Okay… umm. No, I just dreamt something for a second."

"What was it," he asked.

"It was just some dead flowers. It lasted only a couple of seconds."

"But you were out for several minutes."

I gazed into Anubis' eyes not quite taking in what he meant. I looked around and the black bull as well as the creepy children were nowhere in sight. The activities continued despite such a strange event taking place. "I need to stand up," I finally said and Anubis helped me to my feet.

"Are you sure your fine?" Anubis asked earnestly.

"Yeah. What was with that Apis bull anyway? It was creepy as hell."

"Don't talk about a god like that," he fiercely retorted.

"Sorry…" I softly uttered, taken by surprise.

"…no, you're fine. I'm still a bit unnerved. Anyway, Apis is one of the earliest gods and probably the… most bizarre. He has oracle powers and is the source of many prophecies. He doesn't have his own form, so he embodies the form of a bull."

"You thought I had heard a prophecy…"

His eyes took on a strong severity as he strongly stated, "No good can come from prophecies."

"But… can't they warn you about the future?"

"All prophecies do is torment the people who try to decipher them. Follow a prophecy and you become a toy to destiny." Anubis took one more look in the direction Apis had went and made his way toward the temple.

"What about the children?" I asked him.

"He speaks through them. Children are sensitive to a god's influence. Let's get the jar and leave. I don't like the feeling of this place."

"Okay…" I wasn't sure what to make of Anubis' words. He seemed so defiantly against anything to do with prophecies, yet I knew there was something about a prophecy the sphinxes in the duat told me about. If it has to do with me or Anubis, was it really wrong to want to know what it says?

We made it through the crowd reaching a path that lead up the hill to the temple's entrance. From a stone plaque I read this place was called Changzhu Monastery. We climbed the path, fortunately ignored by the locals, until we came to the entrance of the tower. The detail inside was so extravagant, I slipped off my blindfold to get a better view.

Whoever designed the interior really liked their primary colors. The inside was small, but filled with different relicts and artwork. The room was mostly red with its fair share of yellows, blues and greens. The air smelled strongly of burning essence. On a wall was a large embroidery hanging from the wall made of precious stones depicting a woman with many arms. There was also a golden Buddha statue in an alcove at the front of the room.

"We need to find some stairs or something. The jar is down below us." Anubis nodded. We managed to find one level lower than the one we entered, but searching through the temple we couldn't find any way to move deeper below the temple. Instead, we went back to the main level to look for another way down. We probably looked for a good hour or so before we came to the conclusion that there weren't any levels that will take us lower.

"How can the jar be so deep underground? This is giving me a headache. We won't have to dig beneath this temple to get to it will we?"

"No, there has to be something we're missing…" He slumped against the wall in thought while I looked around at the décor. Had I not been wearing a blindfold and seeing everything in black and white, I was sure my eyes would be tired of all the color. But even in black and white the attention to detail was very beautiful. If only this place could have some stairs leading underground.

I glanced back at Anubis and saw him looking at something in the other room. I tilted my head to see what he was looking at. The room was pretty empty and a solid color from what I could tell. In it was a giant cylinder with a bar around it. It looked like the bar was for using your hands to turn it.

"It looks like a giant version of the cylinders they had outside."

"It's a prayer wheel," Anubis stated.

Curious, I made my way into the room to take a closer look at the prayer wheel. The wheel was like a tall column. On it were engravings of some story I couldn't understand. I took a grasp of the bar and began to walk with it, turning it clockwise as the monks had spun it outside. It was hard to move at first, but once I got some momentum it wasn't so hard.

"So they pray while walking like this, huh? I wouldn't be able to do it. I would probably get so dizzy I would start spouting nonsense."

"Nakia," Anubis called, "try spinning it counter-clockwise."

I came to a stop and a second so after me the wheel did the same. "But the monks outside were spinning it this way. I don't want to anger any gods doing it wrong."

"Gods don't care about that kind of stuff. Only humans do. Just try it."

I didn't feel so reassured, but I grabbed at the wheel anyway and gave it a pull in the other direction. It was obviously not made to go counter-clockwise. I had to put my whole body into. I could hear a grinding as I did so and was sure that I was breaking it. I was about to stop but Anubis appeared behind me taking hold of the wheel. "Keep going," he said.

With Anubis' help, pushing the wheel wasn't as much work. During the rotation I noticed that in the center of the room there was an opening in the floor. The wheel came to a top and wouldn't budge. We walked around the column to see passage with a steep path going underground.

"How did you know that would happen?" I asked in astonishment.

Anubis shrugged. "Little Horus was always good at making these sort of hidden passages in his palaces. I picked it up from him." Anubis ducked his head into the underground tunnel and, after a moment, straightened himself up again. "Alright, you stay here."

"You know, the canopic jar probably won't be sitting on a pedestal in plain sight. You'll probably need my help."

"And if I do, I'll come back and get you. I just feel like something will go wrong. You don't need to be in the middle of that."

"…just be careful, then."

"I'll be back soon." Anubis jumped down into the passage. He disappeared from sight quickly and soon the sound of his footsteps faded away as well. I sat by the hole in the floor listening to the festival barely audible from the tower waiting.

Sitting still didn't last long, and I was soon pacing the floor. I didn't like being left behind at all. I had that same feeling as Anubis did that this jar was different. Between it suddenly appearing in a place we've already covered ground, the creepy Apis bull showing up, and now secret passages that you would have to be a god to even dare to try in this culture it seemed like too many strange scenarios to trust. And there was also Amun's warning…

Would Anubis swallow the piece of his heart as soon as he found it? He has done it before, and it could be that there is some booby trap underground that could be triggered or something if he does. Or Amun was lying, but with how this day has been I was willing to entertain the thought that he was being truthful. I was bouncing on my heels in a moment of indecision.

In the end, I couldn't hold back the sick feeling I had in my gut. I lowered myself into the passage and let myself drop into the darkness.


	16. A Hot Dog Skewer Decides our Fate

**Chapter 16: A Hot Dog Skewer Decides our Fate**

I felt stupid for jumping into a pitch black whole without a flashlight. It took me a few minutes to feel through the things in my bag trying to figure out by touch where mine was. Although Anubis had a few things like a flashlight on him, I don't remember seeing him use it. Anubis wasn't a cat god like Bastet who could probably see in the dark. However, my strange ability to see glowing organs didn't help me at all where there wasn't any light. I turned my flashlight on and looked into the tunnel ahead.

The tunnel didn't look like it was made as part of the temple. After all the care to detail the creators of that building put into its making, this passage lacked any sort of grandeur. It even didn't have anything in the path to help you from falling or places for torches to keep the path lit. I wasn't sure how or who had made it, but it felt as though I had left one world and entered another.

The only sound was a soft hum of air moving. Every step I took crunched loudly under my feet. The path was bare without any differentiation. I couldn't mark how long I had been walking or how far I had gone. The steady decline was enough to tell me I was going deeper and deeper. My only faith in where I was going was seeing the glow of the jar grow closer as I moved.

My anticipation grew as I went further. My heart was quickening its pace as I moved closer. I was so focused on the green glow I was caught off guard by a sudden flash of light right next to me. I screamed. My back slammed into the opposite wall of the tunnel trying to get away from what instantly appeared beside me. My eyes had to adjust to the light to see what it was. But all I saw was Anubis leaning against the other wall with one arm crossed and the other flashing his flashlight at me.

"That scared the shit out of me!" I exclaimed.

"I knew it would," he replied. I had to keep myself from rolling my eyes. Ha ha, jumpy Anubis learned a new trick, I thought. Anubis pointed his flashlight to the ground and closed the gap between us. It was still dark, but the light was just enough illumination to see the sternness in his expression.

"You don't listen very well, do you?"

"I don't like being left alone."

He wavered a bit, uncertain of how to react. He broke eye contact and stared at the ground as he tapped his flashlight against his leg. "I should have left you with Paws."

"Look, I get it. You don't want me walking into more hell holes." Anubis scowled, but I merely shrugged. "I just don't think being alone in some temple is a great idea. We're nearly there. Let's get the jar and get out of here."

Anubis sighed and continued down the path calling "Stay close," as he did. I followed behind him. I trained my light on the ground to be sure I didn't trip while Anubis illuminated the path ahead. I expected the path to curve. The glow of the jar, as we got closer, was more to the right than straight ahead. But the path didn't deviate. It wasn't until the jar was completely east from us that the tunnel ended with a doorway on the right wall.

"Turn off your flashlight," Anubis commanded. I did as he said. With the lights off, it was immediately apparent that someone else had been, or was, down here. A light poured out from the doorway; a kind of light that flickered like fire. We stood standstill, not daring to make a sound or look inside.

"Still want to come?" Anubis asked.

"Let's get it over with," I said tepidly.

The doorway was ornate despite the bare tunnel that led to it. Two columns surrounded each side with decorated motifs around the opening. I could smell the burning oils as we cautiously entered.

The room was the size of a stadium. The floor was engraved with an ancient drawing of a woman dressed in a long flowing dress. Embedded in the wall at different parts of her body were statues of buildings, a replica of the one we entered in at the woman's left shoulder. Where her heart would be was a raised platform also engraved with the features of a temple. On its center was a pedestal holding a glowing canopic jar on top of it.

"Nevermind," I whispered. "I guess it would be sitting on a pedestal in plain sight."

Both Anubis and I jumped as the sound of clapping echoed in the chamber. A man appeared stepping out from behind a statue. He was tall and dressed very modestly with a buttoned up shirt and scarf, black slacks, and polished shoes. His hair was slicked back but still had messy locks of hair falling out here and there. I couldn't see any color so I could only guess his hair was perhaps brown, but I could tell he had a tan complexion.

He continued to clap, benignly smiling as he did, until he was in the center of the room. He stopped and held out his hand in a welcoming gesture that instead made me want to bolt out the room. A staff materialized in his right hand. I thought it resembled a reaper's scythe but with a much shorter blade. The opposite end was forked like a skewer you use at a campfire. I guessed you could reap your corn and cook it over a fire with one tool; the ultimate cookout utensil.

"Welcome Anubis, and friend," his voice rang, pausing to bow in my direction as he spook. "Congratulations on finding the place. Did you have any difficulties getting here?"

"What are you doing here?!" Anubis exclaimed. He sounded completely flabbergasted, his expression of clear disbelief and confusion.

The man stumbled aside gesturing to the pedestal. "Do you see? I found one of your jars. Ha! You've been looking for them, am I right?"

Anubis stood transfixed, unable to respond through his surprise. I had no idea who this was or his relation to Anubis, but his voice sent a chill through me the same way Apep's had. In a dramatic gesture, the man backed away inviting Anubis to walk by. "Go ahead. By all means, take it."

Anubis teetered between each foot, still not sure of what to do. He finally took a deep breath and moved forward, muttering, "Stay here," to me. He walked across the room not looking at the man as he passed him. He didn't make it to the platform. Halfway there a wall of light appeared where Anubis walked. Sparks shot out, and Anubis was violently thrown across the room. The stone ground cracked where his body bounced and he crashed into the western wall, a cloud of dust hiding where he landed.

I couldn't speak. My breath had stopped. I was dumbfounded trying to take in how quickly the situation had changed. I was startled by a sharp laugh. The man seemed beside himself in his hysteria, but he pulled himself together to say, "Oh my! Ha ha! I completely forgot to mention this. There's a seal there," he pointed unnecessarily to where the wall of light had appeared. "Over there. Did you see it?" I wondered if he was addressing me, but he was talking to the cloud of dust enveloping Anubis. However, from his tone, you would think the man was having a casual conversation with someone directly in front of him. I couldn't tell if he could see Anubis or if he was truly insane.

"The seal won't let a god take the jar. Only a human can. But look here!" he exclaimed turning in my direction. "You brought one with you!"

He started towards me, grinning and holding his arms out as though for a hug. My knees were shaking and I could only manage a small step back before he reached me. His expression contorted in dismay and I thought he was reacting to my frightened expression. Instead, he said, "Now how can you possibly see with that blindfold on. Here."

I couldn't move at all. I had no choice but to stand there as he reached behind my head to remove my blindfold. His closeness made my mouth go dry. Even though I could still see with my eyes covered, when he took off my bandana, my surrounding took a drastic change.

The fire torches that lined the walls didn't burn like regular fire as I had imagined. They glowed with a red light that seeped into every crevice of the room. Everything was dyed in red, even the man before me. That's why it took me a moment to take him in.

I couldn't be sure if his hair was really a dark red color or if it was only the light. I knew, though, that lighting alone wouldn't make his eyes such a brilliant shade of crimson. It flashed me back to several spells I had seen: the spell Khonsu used to seal Anubis, the boyish figure of the young magician made of red light, the magic that same magician used in the barren field in Australia…

"Set…"

"Now you can see me. What a twisted habit Anubis has putting a… blindfold on you. I hope you will excuse my neph… my step-son's behavior."

Anubis was behind me and pulled me away from Set, putting himself between us. I was momentarily startled he was there having not heard him approach. Besides the dust on his clothes, you wouldn't be able to tell he had been thrown into a wall.

"I don't like you touching her," Anubis scolded.

"And I don't like you blindfolding young maidens, not that it's any of my business. You know, I believe that –"

"Why did you send a magician to capture me?" Anubis interrupted.

"Why, to bring you here; to your jar," Set replied like it was the most obvious answer. "I realize it turned into a fiasco, and I do feel sorry for that. Se-Osiris turned out to be… more volatile than I had anticipated. He betrayed me in more ways than one, which is why we have this seal here. It was placed here by his doing."

"…how do I know you're telling the truth?" Anubis said with slow uncertainty.

Set's demeanor completely changed. His face softened and he looked at Anubis with a terrible compassion like a mother to a child. "I could never wrong you. You are the closest to a child I could ever have." He stretched his hand and brushed his fingers through Anubis' hair. Anubis still looked uncertain of Set but didn't pull back. Set added, "Have I ever done ill towards you, Anubis?"

Anubis furrowed his brows and cast his eyes down. He then looked into my eyes and I could practically see the internal battle going on behind them. He finally mumbled a barely audible, "Fine." With his hand to my back, he guided me away from Set and toward the jar.

"As soon as you get the jar, run back so we can leave."

"You're going to trust him?" I asked. It was more curiosity than disbelief that compelled the question from me. Even though I knew Set to be an evil god, I could sense from their interaction a complex relationship I didn't really understand.

Anubis shrugged. "He's right. Set has never acted out against me, and I think my mother has something to do with that. I'll just have to trust her on this."

We stopped halfway through the room. I couldn't see the seal, but I knew from this point Anubis couldn't continue on. He nodded to me. I took a step forward holding my breath, but nothing happened. I kept walking, my feet the only sound in the room like a solitary heartbeat. I walked over the belly of the woman engraved on the floor and up to the pedestal. Even though my body was anxious to take the jar, I felt reluctant to touch it. But Anubis was behind me waiting, so I shifted myself to be ready to run and took the jar.

There wasn't enough time for me to react. The stone floor I stood on turned to sand. Everything sunk into it including myself. My legs were swallowed into the ground up to my knees. I had to steady myself on the half sunken pedestal to keep from falling.

I could hear in the distance behind me some commotion but couldn't make out what the sounds were. I twisted my body soon enough to see Set walking towards me and Anubis throwing his own body out of the sand to catch him. But again Anubis struck the sealed wall that bursted into being to stop him. He was more prepared this time and moved his body so he landed, although roughly, on his feet quite some feet away.

Set took no notice of Anubis' struggle. He seemed giddy with a skip in his feet as every step he took brought him closer to me. I was frozen and couldn't even bring my mind to think of escape. The only thing that stopped Set was Anubis' cry.

"You lied!"

Set spun on his heels and replied, "Did I?"

"You said the seal keeps out a god."

"No, no, no. I said it keeps a god from getting the jar. I asked if you saw it. You see, Anubis…" As Set spoke, the sand by his side began to swell and rise. He reached his hand into the mass and grabbed hold of something. The sand fell away revealing some blackish lump of fabric. I couldn't tell what it was until I saw the hand with crimson threads twisting around it. But the threads were dripping and making a small pool in the sand. Like the pool Anubis' crippled body laid in from that ancient memory Amun had made me live through before.

It wasn't until then I understood that I was looking at a corpse.

"See, this magician here," Set said holding up the small body higher while leaning on his staff. "Remember him? He put a seal on that jar to keep gods from touching it. It was his dying act you could say." He threw the body to the side and it hit with a sickeningly loud crack against the wall before crumpling to the ground. I couldn't get over how disturbing it was that it wouldn't move.

"Then what about the seal on the room?" Anubis brusquely retorted.

"Oh, that?" Set remarked with an apathetic wave of the hand. "I made that specifically to keep you out."

In a manner like he was bored with the conversation, Set turned his back to Anubis and approached me. As he came closer, I noticed that his staff wasn't like a reaper scythe like how it looked from a distance. The end wasn't sharp at all. Instead it was shaped like an elongated animal head. Set seemed comfortable with the staff, spinning it in his hand with great ease. He stopped directly before me with a hungry yet delighted stare that chilled me.

"And that leaves us with you; the human Se-Osiris believed would bypass the seal for Anubis. What are you? His concubine perhaps?"

"Fuck you," I swore. Although I had been frozen in my fright, his insinuation lit a spark that brought me out from it. I was still terrified, being stuck in the ground without any way to protect myself. But I was also burning with anger for this whole set up.

"Ooooh~,"Set cooed with glee. "I like you. You have some bite." He slapped my face with enough force to make my ears ring. I fell, but having my feet trapped in the sand I couldn't control it. The side of my head hit the edge of the pedestal. The pain slammed into me and I hit the ground not able to think. I tried to grapple with my senses, aware there was talking but my ringing ears drowned it out. A shadow fell on me and I looked up to notice Set crouched beside me.

"I am not here to hurt you, sweetheart. I just want the jar. Now give it here and I will let you leave."

I had only become aware of it now that I had managed to keep the jar clutched close to me. My grip tightened. I only managed to find a small ounce of my fire from before to retort, "I told you to go fuck yourself."

His good humor was gone, and I knew I wouldn't be able to stop the inevitable pain that was to come. I wasn't ready for it, but I resigned myself to it. His staff began to glow red and he held the skewer to my face. My vision suddenly went black and I thought I had fainted. Yet I could hear Set shouting before my vision returned, or rather the black thing blocking my sight moved out of the way.

I could now see that Set was being held back by a hand, one that was pitch black. The midnight black figure grew out of the ground. My shadow, the sheut that had helped me before, stood between Set and me. It pulled Set to itself and used the other arm to elbow him in the chest. The force of the blow was so great it threw him across the room until he landed at Anubis' feet.

"I will not forgive you," Anubis stated without any anger but merely stating a fact.

"Well, that's good," Set replied as he used his staff to pull himself to his feet. "I don't need any frivolous things like forgiveness."

Set's figure erupted into sand that began to turn the grains of sand around it. In no time at all the entire room was a chaotic sand storm. I couldn't see where Anubis was anymore. I had to keep my eyes closed to keep the blowing sand from getting into them, but because of the jar clutched to me my closed eyes didn't prevent me from seeing.

My legs were still stuck within the ground, but the storm was loosening its grip on me. I put the jar in my sling bag before digging my fingers into the ground. I began to pull as hard as I could. Slowly my legs began to come out. I kept digging my hands into the sand trying to keep my grip even as the sand slipped through my fingers.

When I was nearly out, I saw something tunneling under the sand was coming towards me. I tried to move out of its way but my feet were still trapped. Out from the ground came a large, black beast with tall yet strangely square ears and a tail that spilt into two. The creature dove for my bag, its red eyes fixated on it. I tugged it away. The creature only managed to tear the sack before diving back into its beige sea. The gusts of wind quickly took the jar from the rip of my bag. As it rolled away from me, I frantically clawed at the ground trying to break free.

I finally managed to free my feet from my trap, but I was struggling to see where the jar went. The bright red lights of the room had burned a green afterimage in my sight camouflaging the jar's glow. I stumbled through the storm barely able to keep to my feet. The dust distorted my vision. There was a moment through my struggling that I thought I had stepped on a scorpion, but it was only a trick of the storm. When I looked again there was nothing there.

Through it all the only sounds I could here were the howls and whistling of the wind. My throat was raw as I couldn't keep from inhaling the blowing sand. It took a strong strength of will to keep myself moving despite my burning lungs.

I saw the black beast before I saw the jar. The creature was half emerged in the sea of sand, yet tore at a high speed in order to reach the jar. I broke into a sprint, fully realizing I wouldn't make it in time. I moved by instinct, not thinking of what I would do confronting this beast by myself. Yet I didn't have to confront it. As the creature opened its jaws to take the jar, another creature, a much smaller one, leapt at it. Despite his size, the sand colored animal was able to throw the beast off its path before they both disappeared within the storm. I grabbed the jar without stopping and continued to sprint.

I didn't know where I was going. I pushed my feet against the sand all the while growing more exhausted with each step. I eventually came to one of the temple statues that lined the walls of the room. It had fallen over to its side but still provided protection from the wind. I took refuge behind it, trying to catch my breath which turned into a fit of coughing. I could taste blood in my mouth but I wasn't sure where I was bleeding from. I thought perhaps it was from the blow Set dealt me to the face, or the sand I had inhaled had rubbed my throat raw. Whatever it was from was enough to remind me I was alive, and I was in danger of losing my life.

When it hit me, I was terrified. My breathing became more labored the more I valued that I could still breath. Even if I wanted to run and escape this nightmare, I couldn't bring my legs to move. I was stuck in my fright like a weak, terrified animal. I hated myself for being so helpless.

I jumped when one of the creatures came from above the statue I was hiding behind and landed before me. I gasped, and then fell into another fit of coughing. I had half a mind to get away from the beast, but a hand stopped me. I looked up to see the creature wasn't here, but Anubis stood next to me. He had some cuts here and there but looked okay.

"Are you okay?" he shouted over the sound of the storm. I merely nodded, not certain I would be able to speak. He gave a nod, then looked over the statue to examine the situation. Satisfied with whatever he saw, he shouted, "We're leaving! You have the jar?" I held it up as confirmation. Showing it to him reminded me why we were here to begin with. My fear ebbed a bit when I had something to protect, but I also knew that that beast, the monster of Set, wasn't going to let us leave so easily with it.

"Let's go," Anubis said.

"Wait," I croaked grabbing Anubis' jacket. He turned to me and I cleared my voice before shouting, "Drink it now!" I held the jar offering it to him.

"There is no time! We have to get –"

"Your heart is what he wants, but he can't take it if it's inside you."

He looked me in the eye for a split second, but seemed to come to the conclusion that arguing with me will take longer than swallowing a heart piece. He had time to take the jar and break the head off before our surprise guest arrived. It came from under the sand. Exploding from the ground, it launched itself into the arm that I had been holding the jar in seconds before. The pain was excruciating as I felt every tooth in its muzzle pierce into my skin and muscles. I saw an arm swing at the beast. Anubis lodged the broken jar into the eye of the creature. It did more than just stab it. The skin around the infliction began to change, but I couldn't tell if it was melting or rotting away. The beast cried out, releasing its hold on me. I curled into myself, grabbing at my injured arm. Between the pain, I noticed a shadow from above us as the beast made its escape. Anubis had an arm around me as support.

"Nakia? Can you hear me? Can you move?"

I lifted myself up to show I could still move. When I did, the storm that had raged the room immediately dissipated. The room was still and deadly silent. It made me more nervous than the storm had.

"Are we hiding now?" chimed Set whimsically. I squeezed my eyes closed at his voice, wishing I was anywhere but here.

"Stand," Anubis softly commanded. I complied without a thought, letting him support me as he led us away from our sheltered spot. Set stood where the pedestal had been, now broken off and strewn several feet away. He also had some injuries scattered about, and the skin around his right eye had rotted away. The exit was just behind us and there seemed to be a good chance we could make a break for it. But Anubis didn't try for escape. Instead, he stopped to face Set.

"I'm done with your game. We're leaving," Anubis said sternly.

"Of course you are. You won this game. You retrieved your heart before I could. You have every right to leave." I could feel Anubis relaxing and shifting to turn before Set continued, "It's just a shame Little Horus and the young lady had to get hurt during our game."

Anubis stiffened and shouted, "What did you do to Horus?"

Set started to chuckle and replied, "It's silly, really. See, there's this large hole in the Karakum Desert that some stupid humans lit on fire and has been burning for decades. Since they call it 'the gates of hell' I figured it's pretty deep, but I wanted to know just how deep. So I threw Horus in to see if he could find out for me. Oh, don't make that face! For a sun god the fire shouldn't hurt him, that much."

I could feel Anubis start to shake which confused me. I wanted to look at his face but my eyes couldn't leave Set as he began to leisurely walk towards us.

"Let me just say how deeply sorry I am for hurting your little concubine. And I know my butting heads with Horus has been causing you problems. In all honestly, there are many things I should make amends for."

Set stopped his pace. He stood confidently with his hand resting on his staff, smiling as he intently stared into Anubis' eyes. "However, killing your father; that is something I'll never be sorry for."

Anubis' grip under my arm tightened to the point it was nearly painful. Now that I was sure Set wasn't coming for us, I took my chance to steal a glance at him.

The only emotion that showed on Anubis' expression was rage. It frightened me not only to see his anger for the first time but the intensity of it. He still had blood running down his chin from swallowing his heart that, with the deep lines on his normally relaxed expression, made him look like a feral animal. A low growl erupted from his chest as he began to loosen his grip on me. "Anubis…" I cautiously uttered, worried that the boy next to me wasn't the same god I had entered this underground chamber with.

But in an instant he was no longer beside me. Anubis tore himself from me to go after Set. I fell to my knees at the loss of his support but was too stunned to try and stand again. I watched as Anubis quickly ran across the room with murderous eyes focused on Set. I could sense something was wrong when I saw Set's grin grow wider. My heart dropped to my stomach.

Then came a roaring crash from the ground as tons of sand and stone erupted into the air just a few feet from me. The air filled with dust. I couldn't see what was happening other than the obscure shapes of giant stones breaking away as a giant figure rose from the floor. I squinted my eyes to see through the dust, desperate to know what had happened but still frozen in place. I heard Set's hysteric laughter before the dust finally settled.

What had emerged from the floor was a creature with the body of a scorpion so huge it reached to the ceiling in this cavernous room. Where its head should be the body extended into the torso of a woman. I recognized her as the scorpion goddess we had encountered in Australia almost a month ago. She even wore the same black biker jacket she had worn then. Her tail extended up to the ceiling ending in a stinger as long as my body.

And affixed to the end of the stinger was Anubis.

I gazed motionless as the weight of the horror I saw sank into me. The tip of the stinger had pierced through his back. Anubis' eyes were wide; staring blankly as his hands searched for something to grab that could free him from the pain. His body began to slip. The tip of the stinger was distinguishable as it pushed from inside Anubis' stomach before his skin gave way and tore open with a grotesque sound that showered the ground with blood. The goddess smirked and tipped her stinger. Anubis' body fell lifelessly with a thump and did not move.

All that seemed to exist in the room was Anubis' bleeding body and the piercing laughter of Set. I should have been screaming, but the sound wouldn't come out. I curled into myself as though hiding from what was happening would make it not exist. I was shaking uncontrollably, tears streaming down my face as I knew this was the end. We were both going to die here.

In some distant place I couldn't see, I heard Set praise, "Well done, Uhat! Just fantastic!"

"Thank you, my lord," a female voice replied. "It felt good to get back at the mutt."

There was a moment of silence before Set said, "Now to take care of the human."

My body started shaking violently. I hugged myself in a tight grip. I was more terrified than I had ever been. There was an instinct in me that said to fight, yet after seeing the cruel power these gods held, I had no will in me to keep fighting anymore. I was so vulnerable, so helpless and weak, that there wasn't anything I could do to change things.

Then an odd sensation slammed into my mind. I felt as though my brain was being squeezed into one side of my head, yet this feeling wasn't physical. It was like a part of myself I was never aware of was suddenly being pushed aside.

Don't give up on me, we thought.

The shaking of our body lessened and we pulled ourself up from the ground. Set was approaching us with his staff in hand followed closely by Uhat, now in a human form and normal sized.

Beg.

"Please don't kill me," our voice quivered. "I'll… I'll do anything, just don't kill me."

Set stood over us and seemed to contemplate before asking, "And what could you do for me if I let you live?"

We froze, one half wanting to lie while the other wanted to say anything to earn his trust. The latter won over and we replied, "I can help you find the rest of Anubis' heart. I can… I can sense them."

"Hmm?" Set didn't move from his imposing position over us, but we didn't dare lift our head to look at him. There was a heavy silence before he commanded, "Stand."

We complied, half relieved to get on our feet and half still frightened of what Set was planning. We looked him in the eyes. Set seemed to be both curious and amused as he regarded us. He smiled and said, "Your offer is very sweet, but as you can see Anubis is as good as dead. What use can some fragments of his heart be? I could care less about those."

One half knew this wasn't true and knew we could argue this point. When the other half understood this truth, it became fearful of sharing that knowledge with Set. However, the former half had a strong will and, despite conflicting emotions, pressed on, "He won't be completely dead. Not if parts of him still survive."

Set furrowed his brow. Behind him, Uhat crossed her arms and gave us a suspicious look. We averted her gaze, keeping our focus on Set.

Once again, Set's demeanor made a 180, going from gravely serious to flirtatious. He took a step forward, closing any space between us, and played with a stand of our hair. We stood still but willed our body to keep shaking even as a detached calm was washing over us. We made a note that Set's was scepter, the name of the staff one half of us supplied, was only a short distance from our hand.

"I suppose you could prove to be useful after all."

"Then you'll let me live?" we pleaded.

"For now." Set smiled and let the strand in his fingers fall from his grasp.

Let go.

At first the meaning wasn't clear. Then there was a sensation of one half taking complete control of the other. It instinctually resisted this alien presence. Then it felt a link to the other. It was scared, scared of dying just as much as the other half was. The half didn't fight and let him take over for them.

As Set opened his mouth to say something, he grabbed hold of Set's was scepter. One touch was enough for him to feel the red, chaotic power swirling within it. But that power was quickly diminished by his own. Red turned to black and the was scepter was his to control.

He wasted no time pulling the scepter from Set's grasp and using the amplified power to throw him from his feet. Uhat reacted immediately closing in on him with her own power bleeding out from her. He let her come, baiting her. He stepped away at the last second, opening a bridge into the 34th nome, 19th hall of the duat; a relatively out of the way section of the duat but a bitch to get out of. Uhat saw the trick and tried to evade, but he called on her sheut and willed it to be taken in. Uhat had no choice but to follow her shadow in suit.

However, he was pulled into the ground as well. His surroundings once again turned into a dust storm. The sand below his feet encased him. But the sand rushed at him in an unnatural way. They acted as one coming at him like thousands of blades. His instinct was to fight through their power with his own, but he reminded himself that the body he was in was much more vulnerable. Instead, all he could do was hold his power protectively close to him as the sand pulled him deeper into its embrace.

A figure appeared through the torrents of the storm. With the face of a beast this figure tried to grab him, but he still held his will as a shield. Set's will clashed with his as his fingers tried to close in those few centimeters that prevented Set from touching him. He still wanted to retaliate, but it was too dangerous. He kept his defense, but also started seeping a fraction of his power into the was scepter.

Set glowered down at him as their wills battled in the storm. He knew Set was giving his all. He had taken the form of the old times. To have the best advantage, Set kept the strength of his human form, yet his head took his other form to have the senses of an animal. Set could take this form but he couldn't, being confound in a mortal body. His best chance was to wait for the right moment no matter how much he wanted to attack at Set immediately.

Their wills continued to rage and become more chaotic as they fought against one another. Set leaned forward with a roar and stared deeply into his eyes. It was then he seemed to come to a realization and narrowed his gaze. "Anubis!" he growled.

He didn't dare wait a second longer. He slashed downward with the was scepter with a speed that was greater than the sand the continued to try and pierce at him. The power he had collected threw itself like a blade. Set evaded enough to miss most of it, but not all. His power took hold of Set's shoulder and he willed it to spread out like an infection. The skin deteriorated as well as the muscle underneath. Gold bones showed from beneath but began to turn to calcium and crack. Set hissed at the pain and retreated.

Even with his attack, he was still trapped in the storm. It began to grow and he had to pull more of his power into him, making sure his mortal host wouldn't be injured. I can see when I am at a disadvantage, said a voice. A flare of anger burned his heart. His enemy was trying to slip away. He wanted to break free and tear Set apart before he had the chance to weasel his way out. It wasn't an option, though. It would surely destroy the body he used, which would be what Set wanted… what Set wanted…

Until we meet again, my dear, dear son. The storm instantly dissolved. He was inside a hole, marking the one place the sand storm had been concentrated. He knew there was no point looking for Set. He was already gone; he could sense that much. Now that he had no one to focus his anger on, a plethora of emotions raged in his, or was it her, heart. There were so many hitting him at once, he didn't know how to handle them. He stumbled up the hill, slipping in the sand as he used the scepter as a cane to pull him up.

He saw himself lying at his feet. He saw himself covered in red, and could only think of how his mother had been wearing a red dress the day he lost his heart.

Then I was alone; a shaking teenager with a bloody shoulder, leaning on some magical scepter with a dying boy lying at my feet. I wretched, dropping the scepter in my hand but nothing came up. My mind was at a loss, not really understanding what had happened, if I was me or someone else or everyone at once. I fell to my knees.

I couldn't focus on my own disorientation, though. Anubis was lifeless in front of me, his abdomen completely missing and spilling blood. Under the flow of blood was his exposed spine and ribs, damaged but still holding together. It didn't strike me odd that his bones were shining the color of precious gold. I knew it was a common trait of gods only because he had thought that during his fight with Set. But now that presence was gone. I was alone and unless I did something, Anubis was surely going to die.


	17. My Body Becomes a Decomposing Timelapse

**Chapter 17: My Body Becomes a Decomposing Timelapse**

It didn't take long to realize there was something different with me. I had once tried to carry Anubis and I could barely hold his heavy weight. It was hardly surprising looking back on it now. His bones were made of gold. Of course he would be extremely heavy. Yet at this moment, halfway through the underground tunnel that led to the temple, I felt no strain carrying him on my back. In fact, I felt like I was carrying the weight of a small child than an immortal goldmine.

Well, almost immortal. Someone with his injury shouldn't survive. My back was soaked from all the blood that poured from the gaping hole through his stomach. Yet he still breathed, though his breath was becoming more irregular as I walked. A god can survive physical trauma humans could not, but they could still die. So where was the line? I had no idea. I moved as fast as my body would go terrified of finding out the answer.

It was my shoulder that made the journey difficult. The beast of Set had sunk his teeth deeply into it. Anubis' blood was all over me hiding my own bleeding, but there was no doubt my own wound was contributing its own stains. As light as Anubis felt, keeping my arm back to hold his leg sent sharp stabs that intensified each time my foot landed to the ground. I was unable to hold back gasps from the sudden spikes of pain the wound sent through my arm and chest, but I wouldn't allow myself to stop. I couldn't leave Anubis here to die.

A light from an opening in the ceiling was visible. I stumbled toward the exit, but a horrible realization struck me. I had no idea how to get up there. It wasn't particularly high, but there was no ladder up. And even if there were, I couldn't climb up it with Anubis on my back and with an injured shoulder.

"Heeeeey! Someone! Heeeelp!" I shouted as loud as I could, but no one came. There had been no one in the temple when we came, so there was little chance anyone could hear us. We still had an ally on the other side, though.

"Dog whistle… where is it?" I had to lay Anubis gently on the ground. I searched his pockets and found what I was looking for in an inside pocket of his jacket. I filled my lungs and blew hard on the whistle. No sound came from it, but it made Anubis groan. I almost laughed to see some life stirred into him.

The wait in that silent tunnel felt like it dragged on for hours. I felt as though I had a clock ticking in my ear keeping me constantly aware that every moment counted. Then I heard a patter on the floor above me. In the hole, a furry head popped into view and gave a whimper.

"Paws! It's okay! Can you get a rope or something to pull us out with?"

Paws barked and trotted off. I waited with the ticking again until a bright orange rope fell into the hole, its other end somewhere above out of sight. At first I wasn't sure what to do with it, but I decided to tie Anubis first and make sure he was the most secure. Then I tied it around my own waist. I picked Anubis up, him still feeling like the weight of a pillow. "Alright Paws! Pull us up!"

I heard his feet scamper off. I couldn't figure out where he had gone or why it was taking so long. I started to think something happened to him when the rope tightened and started lifting us up. It was extremely uncomfortable. The rope slid up to my bust and put pressure on my injury. There was a slight sway as we ascended. I made sure to take the brunt of the bumps into the wall instead of Anubis. We came out of the opening, the corner scraping into my back as the rope pulled me up. We came to a stop and I began hastily stripping us of our rope.

Paws was nowhere in sight. The rope for some reason continued on outside a window so I picked Anubis up and followed it. At the window I could see the rope was tied onboard the boat. He had used the boat to pull the rope instead of trying to himself. "Smart dog…" I muttered. I wasted no time and jumped out the window into the boat directly below me. I landed and fell to my knees but was otherwise okay. I went straight to the helm where Paws was waiting.

I laid Anubis down. Paws was beside himself, giving cries that were half barks and whimpers. Anubis was extremely pale with sweat glistening on his forehead. His breathing was sporadic and effortful. My mind was going blank from panic. My knowledge of first aid was very basic, yet a very experienced doctor probably wouldn't know what to do, not when he had entire organs that were missing.

"I don't know what to do," I whispered, tears falling down my cheeks as I did. I clutched my chest. I began to rock forward as sobs erupted from my chest. "I don't know what to do! Anubis is going to die and I don't know what to do!"

Something grew burning hot on my chest. I yelped in surprise. As I did, a memory came to the surface.

If you ever need me, go to the closest library and ask for Seshat. She can always get in contact with me.

"The notecard…" I ran out the helm and headed straight for my bedroom. I rummaged through my bedside table for the notecard I received eons ago from Thoth the day I began this journey. I also grabbed my tablet and a handful of clothes off the floor.

I ran back to the helm, flipping through my tablet as I did. As soon as I was inside I ordered, "Paws, I need you to head straight to these coordinates." I read off the numbers that had more meaning to him than me. He didn't delay in turning us around. "We need to get there fast!" I began to pull my blood soaked clothes off as we headed for the closest library in Tibet.

* * *

 

To be honest, it looked more like a bookstore than a library. It was small and crammed between two other stores that had much more customers than this place. The outside was beautiful with colored tiles that made a patterned motif around the building, the exposed wood painted in bright primary colors. But I wasn't there to admire the sights. I threw myself at the red door.

The inside was also like a bookstore, and there didn't seem like a lot of selection. I walked past each shelf, half tempted to go crazy and start tearing the place apart. I didn't think Thoth would appreciate me following after Horus' example. But if it would save Anubis…

"Can I help you?" the woman at the counter asked politely, but looking a bit uneasy dealing with a foreigner.

I was uncertain but asked anyway, "I need to speak with Seshat."

The woman was mildly surprised but kindly responded, "Yes, certainly. Her office is the back door here." She walked out behind the counter and led me to an office door with a plague in some other language. I bowed to thank her and she left. I took a breath and opened the door.

It was like being transported back to Thoth's office. The place was a wreck just like his. Books stacked on books stacked on books making it seem like an impossible task to find anything in that clutter. The ceiling rose high above out of sight with continuous bookcases lining every inch of the walls. In the center was a desk perched between two palm trees that wildly contrasted with the rest of the room.

At the desk was a woman that had the librarian look down pat. She had long black hair tied back in a tight bun. She wore rectangular glasses with old fashioned beads that hung from them. Her suit had a cheetah print that fit very snuggly on her. She was writing at an incredible speed and didn't seem to notice my entrance. I swiftly strode up to her desk.

"Excuse me, I need your– "

She interrupted me with a long sigh. Stopping whatever it was she was writing, she dug into a drawer and fetched another roll of paper. She began rapidly writing on that saying, "I'm going to be behind schedule. The chancellor specifically asked for the document at five o'clock this evening. No sooner, no later. If I can increase the writing speed to 143 words a minute then perhaps I can…"

"Excuse me, I'm sorry, but I really need your help."

She didn't respond but continued muttering about word counts and deadlines. I knew I couldn't be here forever so I skipped formalities and moved on. "I need to talk with Thoth right now. He said you could get in contact with him."

"I am always in contact with him," she said without lifting her eyes from her writing. Her pen moved between writing on two documents, never stopping their pace. "Talking with me is as good as talking with him. So tell me what it is you want."

I could hardly understand what she meant, but this wasn't a time to talk about how strange the gods were. That would take weeks. "Anubis is dying and he needs medical attention, or magic or something. Please! I don't know what I can do!"

She didn't bat an eye. I was becoming more disturbed by how emotionless she seemed. Even her "panic" over missing her deadline was muttered in a detached way like she was only saying it out of formality. She continued to ceaselessly write while pulling out yet another slip of paper with her other hand. She quickly wrote on that and in seconds was thrusting it at me.

"Go to 'Shanghai United Family Hospital'. You can find Imhotep there. Be sure to ask for Dr. Ankh."

"But Shanghai is directly east of here. We can't travel in that direction. Is there someone else we can go to? Why can't I talk to Thoth?"

She abruptly stopped her pen. A cold sweat ran down my back as she locked eyes with me. Her expression was empty. For some reason as I looked at her I wondered if she was really there or not. "I am Thoth's other and I am telling you everything he wants you to know. Gods are always making enemies of each other and we can't always find ways to avoid one another. You will travel east and confront the wrath Anubis has invoked or he will die."

She looked down at her papers and quickly started writing once more. "Now it will have to be 151 words a minute. That will give me 508…" She continued her personal rant, but I didn't stick around. I was so shaken that I left the room immediately putting as much distance from her as I could.

* * *

 

"Oh no…"

Anubis was worse. His body was twitching. Every muscle in his body looked to be having small spasms from his face to his feet. His breathing had grown softer but it continued to come at random bursts. Paws was already turning us east to the hospital, though he seemed really reluctant to go this way. I stared at the gaping hole in Anubis' abdomen as I thought of the stinger that had pierced him.

"Poison…" The ticking grew louder as our time seemed to be running out. I called to Paws, "You have to get this thing going as fast as it can go!"

I let Paws do his thing. I sat next to Anubis and held his hand, his fingers dancing wildly in my grasp. I squeezed my eyes shut as I worried over what sort of trial we were facing.

Normally I could never feel the boat moving. However, this time it felt like we were on a rollercoaster. The pressure of the speed could be felt even in the helm. I held myself steady having a bad case of vertigo.

Then the feeling hit me right in the gut. My stomach felt like it had been rung dry. I dropped Anubis' hand and clutched at my stomach. I felt like I hadn't eaten in weeks. The pain was not only an intense hunger, but my muscles ached and shook like their energy had been completely depleted. My mouth was dry. I wanted nothing but to eat anything I could find.

Somehow I knew eating wouldn't do any good. It was the wrath Seshat mentioned, from that god Do-A-Motif or whatever his name was. He was attacking our stomachs, punishing us for traveling in his direction. Paws whimpered as he gnawed at the steering wheel. Anubis didn't show any reaction at all, completely oblivious to the world around him.

The trip to Shanghai was short, but felt grueling long. I laid on the ground, curled into myself with my only thoughts on my aching stomach and Anubis. I was beginning to believe we weren't going to get there in time when I felt the pressure of our speed lift. The feeling of emptiness disappeared as well, and I felt fuller than I ever had. Still shaking, I tried to pick Anubis up. It was difficult. His whole body was constantly moving and I never felt I had a firm grasp of him. I threw his arm around my shoulder and had to drag him with me, knowing this was the only way I could move him without dropping him.

Paws stayed behind watching with wide eyes as I jumped out of the boat with Anubis. The hospital wasn't magnificent at all. It looked to be two, maybe three stories. The exterior was white with blue trimming around it. I walked with Anubis through the parking lot to the entrance doors.

It was obvious the sight of us was the last thing the nurses there were expecting to see. They wasted no time in acting. Before I knew it, one nurse was putting him in a stretcher and hooking him up to IVs and other machines, while others were taking pulses and shouting numbers that meant nothing to me. All through it I was trying to get them to listen to me. "He needs Dr. Ankh!" I repeated. "Is Dr. Ankh here? Please!"

They took Anubis away. I tried to follow them but a nurse stopped me. "It is okay, ma'am. We will take care of him."

"No! He needs Dr. Ankh! Where is he?"

"I'm sorry, but Dr. Ankh is in surgery. There's nothing to worry about. Another doctor will be there to take care of him. Come in here. It will be alright."

"No…" She started guiding me to another room, but I swatted her hand away. "You're not listening to me! It has to be Dr. Ankh! If he doesn't help him, he'll die!"

"Ma'am…" I ignored her and pushed around her to where they had taken Anubis, desperate to find someone who would listen to me. I didn't make it far when two men grabbed me from behind. They started to move me away, and I fought with all the strength my body had left in it, not caring about what it did to my injuries. "No! You can't do this! He's going to die! Please!"

"What is going on?" a male voice came from the hall.

"Oh, Dr. Ankh," a nurse replied.

I craned my neck to see him. My first thought was that he wasn't a god. He looked ordinary, like any other doctor I may have had. His skin was a deep color and he looked almost like he was from India. But he didn't have indescribable look the other gods had that set them apart from others.

"Please!" I shouted. "Anubis is dying! Please save him!"

The man looked startled for a second, but quickly spun around and ran down the hall. I stopped resisting as the security guards dragged me across the lobby. I started to feel hot. Even the trail of blood running down my arm felt cold to my skin.

A nurse shouted, "Wait! That woman is injured!" Her voiced started to sound far away. I had a feeling like I had stood up too fast, but the fuzziness of the sensation intensified. I couldn't feel my legs under me anymore, and I let the heat burn me away.

* * *

 

I woke in a flower field. Endlessly in whatever direction I looked were white flowers peeping out of the lush grass. The air was aromatic. There was a taste in the wind like the coming of rain, but the sky was a perfect blue with speckles of white clouds here and there.

A breeze swept across the field making the tall grass dance. The petals escaped their stems and began to spin in a cloud. Together they formed the figure of a person, much like the feathers of Ma'at had. I stood and faced the new figure before me. She lifted an arm. A finger pointed to a point in the distance behind my back.

I turned to see something odd. The flowers in the far distance were changing. They looked to be rotting on the spot. The circle of dying flowers was growing like a puddle under a dripping faucet. I walked toward the imperfection in my field. As I came closer, the field started dying around me. It crunched under my bare feet as I came to the destruction's center.

At its center was a corpse. By its leathery and coal black skin I could tell it must have been rotting for a long time. Its nose had long ago decomposed. Its eyes were closed and mouth was slightly open. The skin pulled tightly on its skeleton revealing every tendon and bone underneath. Holes in the skin were made by the bugs that crawled over its body. The exposed bone glistened a bright gold under the sunshine. The sweet aroma was gone. My nose was filled with the pungent smell of spoiling meat.

But the corpse didn't repulse me. Instead, I was drawn to it. In the remnants of small strands of hair that still clung to the scalp and the shape of the skin that stretched over the skull, I could recognize the soul that had belonged to the body. I was fearful for him. I crouched beside him and shook his shoulders. The corpse creaked in odd ways as bones rubbed against bones.

"Anubis?!" I said in a whisper, tears just forming in my eyes. He did nothing, said nothing, for all he was was a corpse. No amount of shaking or crying out to him would bring him back to life.

And then the sun sank so quickly that in less than a minute day had become night. Clouds filled the sky that hid the stars and moon. The only light came from the flowers that began to glow in the night. The lights distracted me. I hadn't noticed that I couldn't remove my grip from Anubis' shoulders or that my flesh was beginning to rot. When I did notice, my skin had already deteriorated up to my elbows and was spreading up my arms. I struggled to let go, the muscles that had once been in my hands brittle and unresponsive. I tried to pull away, but I was quickly losing strength.

"Anubis, help!..." I cried helplessly to a corpse. It was to my chest now, and I could feel my lungs turning to rigged paper bags. My heart began slowing, the muscle becoming too weak to deal with the strain of keeping me alive. I could no longer feel my legs beneath me. They were only twigs attached to the rest of my rotting corpse. The skin at my neck began to ripple away as my face was the last to decay. I looked at the corpse lying below me one last time sure that I had failed us both.

Then the darkness dissipated, like someone had turned on a switch in the sky. The moon sprung up from behind a cloud. It shined brightly with a radiant ring of light encasing it in the sky. The flowers glowed with the brilliance of the moon. The stain of death that had spilled on my flower field began to shrink. The flowers regained their color and blossomed with the same light as their neighbors. Soon there was not a single imperfection within the field. Like the flowers, I too regained my colors. My skin regained its softness and my heart and lungs fought with renewed strength. Everything came back to life but the corpse below me.

Yet even though his skin was still dry and discolored, the chest was rising and falling. You could hear the air moving in his windpipe like it had holes where the air was escaping. My hands still on his shoulders, I lifted him up and rested his head in my arm. His eyelids fluttered. The whites of his eyes were yellow and brown, but the color of his iris was still the copper brown I remembered it to be. He focused his gaze on me, then his eyes widened.

"I can't stay here," he said in a hushed voice.

His body crumbled into black sand and he was gone.

* * *

 

This time I woke in a bed with the smell of sterilization in my nose. The ceiling was white. The sheets were white. The curtain drawn around my bed was white. The room was semi-dark, as though even with the lights off the whiteness of the room wouldn't allow the room to be doused in darkness.

There was an IV by me dripping clear liquids into my arm. I sat up and gently removed the needle from me. I was in a hospital gown, but I could see my shirt folded and cleaned sitting on a counter by me. No one was around, and I didn't care much if they were. I didn't belong in this room and no one was going to keep me here.

After ridding myself of the hospital clothes, I stepped out of my room. The lights were dimmed, but I could hear nurses moving about in the distance. I didn't need the nurses. I knew where I was going.

Somehow I hadn't noticed Anubis had been with me still until he was gone. There was no other way I could have carried him here. Not a weak human like me. I woke up feeling like a half of myself was gone. I felt lonely being myself. But I could feel my other half was still here. He was in a room on the other side of the hospital, but it wasn't that far.

My heart gave a jolt when I reached the room and saw on the sign next to the door the name 'Andrew Darnell'. He just kept creeping up on me when I least expected it. I took a breath and opened the door.

The room was much larger than the one I had woken up in. There were some chairs and a sofa like a family could get together here. There was a curtain pulled around the bed but I could still see his head resting on a pillow. Anubis wasn't a corpse; in fact he looked rather healthy. He was in a deep sleep breathing in slow intervals.

A man came out from the curtain and looked at me in surprise. It was Dr. Ankh, or Imhotep I guess was his real name. Once again I was struck with how ordinary he looked, and it was even more apparent with Anubis in the same room. His eyes widened in recognition.

"You shouldn't have left your room," he reprimanded but, counteracting his statement, he pulled a cushioned chair over and signaled for me to sit. I almost sat down but a familiar scent reached my nose. I ignored his offer and made my way to pull the curtain. The doctor called out, "Young lady, you shouldn't look. I was changing his dressings before you came in and – "

The rings screeched across the metal bar as I pulled open the curtain. The sheets had been pulled down to his hips keeping his chest completely exposed. His abdomen didn't have a penetrating hole anymore from the scorpion Uhat. Instead, the hole had been filled with rotting skin. The stench of it had hit me like a wave when I pulled the curtain back. The leathery flesh melded into the surrounding healthy skin as though he were rotting from the inside out.

"He almost died," I stated numbly.

"He nearly did, yes, but the decayed flesh is a sign that his body is healing. It is how Anpu is." Imhotep put an arm around my shoulders and steered me into the seat he had pulled out. Imhotep inspected my injured shoulder. I felt emotionally detached from everything. He asked me to take off my shirt and I didn't feel the slightest bit embarrassed like I may have a lifetime ago. He took off the bandages covering my wound. The tears in my skin had been cleaned and stitched up like a rip in a rag doll.

"The work of Set I presume," Imhotep remarked. I nodded, glancing at Anubis as I did. He continued to rest soundly.

Imhotep began fiddling around with his equipment saying as he did, "I can have those wounds healed for you in a moment. Let me finish dressing up Anubis' injuries and I'll put a spell on that."

I looked at my shoulder. It was swollen, the skin peppered with many colors; imperfect and grotesque. "That's alright. I would rather if you didn't heal it with magic."

He paused at was he was doing and asserted, "It will leave scars."

I smiled. "Yeah, it will."

Imhotep nodded and said, "I'll bandage you first so you won't get an infection. "

"But Anubis – "

"He's more resilient than you, don't you worry." He pulled over a chair next to me and began wrapping up my shoulder. It reminded me of Anubis doing the same for my foot not so long ago. Imhotep didn't have the sort of perfection in movements as Anubis had, but he still did his job well. I looked into his face as he stared in concentration as he worked.

"Are you really a god?" I asked.

A smile tugged at his cheek. "I don't have the family resemblance, do I?" He glanced up at me for a second before continuing. "I was once human, too. And like you, I had chanced to know Anpu in my mortal life."

He snipped the bandage and stood up. I pulled my shirt back on, but otherwise looked at Imhotep with fascination. I suppose I hadn't thought of it, there being humans who later became gods. Like he had said, I was used to the gods being somehow related to each other like one family. He began to work on wrapping Anubis' wound but he continued to speak during his work.

"It was one of my youngest sisters. She had always been fragile and I was the only one that knew how to care for her. But it was not to be. I didn't want to believe she was dead. My magic was unique. It was rooted in science, before people understood what science was. I believed I could bring her back, just as Is– "

He abruptly stopped in his story, and then covered his mistake with a smile. "Well, I was quite surprised when a god came into my home. When I saw the god of death, I knew he marked my failure. But Anpu was livid with me. I hadn't given her a proper burial. He accused me of suffocating my sister's soul in a rotting shell."

He looked at me a moment and sheepishly said, "Sorry, I guess I got carried away from old memories. It's not the most uplifting of stories."

"I don't mind. I haven't heard many stories about Anubis' past. So, is that why you became a god? For your sister?"

The doctor chuckled, "Not quite for that reason. I did come to realize the dead should have their second life in the duat." I furrowed my brow. That wasn't what I had meant by my question. I was thinking along the lines that he would have become a god to continue to see his sister in the duat. But he continued to explain, "I had many reasons. I had served under the pharaoh and wished to continue to serve him. I wished to develop medicine further so less lives would be lost from disease. I wanted to be an idol so that others would follow the same path I had in my life."

He pulled Anubis' covers over his now bandaged chest. He pulled off his gloves saying, "Would you like anything to eat or drink, Nakia?"

"How do you know my name?" My groggy mind thought, 'Seriously, how is it every time a meet a god they already know my name? It's getting irritating.'

"Anpu was conscious for a moment before," he responded. "He asked for you first." I didn't know what to say to that, so I stared at the ground without a response.

"My question still stands?"

"No, I'm not very hun–"

Outside the room a thunderous bang cracked through the air and stopped me in mid-sentence. We both rounded at the sudden commotion that sounded from the hall. I heard Imhotep mutter, "Pharoah," under his breath before leaving the room. I heard some nurses scolding, "Sir, you can only visit during visiting hours!" I became curious and, seeing as Anubis would be fine for the time being, a poked my head out to see what was going on.

The nurses were surrounding a frantic looking Horus the Child trying to coerce him to leave. Instead he was forcing his way through despite them. Imhotep approached him saying, "Pharoah, you shouldn't act so rashly. I would come to get you if you–"

"Where is he?! Where's my brother?"

"He's in there," said a small voice. I hadn't noticed the short woman trailing beside Horus, but once I did it was hard for me to take my eyes off her. She had a dark complexion with short but very thick, black hair that's waves framed her small head. She was wearing tightfitting black pants with white roses painted on them. Her shirt was a loose fitting tank made of a shiny gold material that matched her large hoop earrings. Despite how flashy her cloths were, the most startling feature of hers was her eyes. They were the same color as both of the Horus's I've met; her left eye was silver while her right was golden yellow. Our gazes locked together and I knew she was the eye of a god. Considering her eye colors, I could give a good guess whose eye she was.

Without a moment's hesitation, Horus went right past me to Anubis without even acknowledging me. He sat next to Anubis' bed. Horus took his hand into his own and pressed his lips to Anubis' palm with his eyes squeezed shut. He stayed like that for a long time while Imhotep cleared the confusion in the hall. I stepped out of the room to let the brothers have their privacy. The sight of me caused the nurses to startle. They wanted to take me back to my room, but Imhotep convinced them to leave me be. Things finally settled down and the staff went back to their other duties.

"You have a lot of influence." I stated plainly.

"Humans are easy to placate. It's when gods get involved that this place gets hectic."

"…sorry."

At my soft apology, Imhotep grabbed my shoulder with a stern face. With a sharp voice he said, "Don't say what you don't mean. Are you sorry you saved Anpu's life by bringing him here?"

"N-no…" I looked away from him feeling ashamed.

"Then don't ever say that again. You haven't burdened any of us. You have helped us more than you know."

I nodded, but I still held some doubt I didn't voice. Maybe it looked to them like I brought Anubis here, but I knew that Anubis had used me to save himself. I didn't deserve to hear his words when I let Anubis get hurt in the first place.

Just then Horus came sauntering out leaning on the doorframe as he left Anubis' room. His expression was so downcast and helpless that it was heartbreaking. He looked at us all gathered in the hall. He opened his mouth to say something, but choked up unable to say what he wanted to. Instead, he locked me in his sights and approached me.

In an unexpected move, he put his arms around me and held me in a tight hug. I jerked from his action, not from my wound being squeezed but from the shock. I didn't know what to do with my hands; if I should comfort him or keep them at my side. They stayed up in the air around him while my mind panicked at what to do.

"Thank you…" Horus whispered in a croaky voice. I nodded in his shoulder through the conflicting emotions. He finally released me, his face whipped completely clean of the torment it held before. He addressed Imhotep asking, "Do you have a room for her?"

"I had the nurses change her to an out-patient. She is free to leave for the night."

"I want to stay here!" I protested.

Imhotep replied, "Nakia, it is late and you could use more rest to heal. It would be better to get a room somewhere else for the night. You can return in the morning."

Horus shakily nodded and went to the young woman who had been leaning against the wall and watching us through the whole conversation. "Take care of her for me, will you?"

"Of course," she responded.

Her heels clicked on the floor as she came over. Without a moments delay she had her hand to my back directing me away. I turned my head to see Horus talking with Imhotep before we turned a corner cutting them out of sight.

"Wadjet," the goddess beside me said. Despite her being a couple inches shorter than me, she held a grandeur that made me feel much smaller than her.

After a moment to grasp her introduction, I also shortly replied, "Nakia."

A smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "Nakia… you have, pretty eyes." When we stood waiting for an elevator, she took a lock of my hair and inspected it before frowning. "So many split ends. When have you last cut your hair?"

"Um…" I mumbled not recalling when I had last gone to a salon. I could only guess it was sometime when I was still a high school student.

She shook her head in disapproval. "I'll have to fix that. Your wardrobe could use an update. A young girl shouldn't wear cargo pants like some sort of soldier. Your complexion is a bit too pale, as well." An elevator door opened, and she strode in before giving a wide smile, the brightness of her teeth shining almost as brightly as her contrasting colored eyes. "Don't worry. By tomorrow you'll be like a completely new person."

I gulped, and wondered if it was too late to run away.


	18. The Reality Behind Legends

**Chapter 18: The Reality Behind Legends**

Hospitals were something I was familiar with from having Sophie as my aunt. There was no way for me to remember how many times I had gone to the hospital for whatever accident she had that couldn't be fixed with a first aid kit. It was depressing; seeing all the people who were sick and family members walking around with gaunt faces. But one thing I always enjoyed about the hospital was seeing family I don't see that often. It was always a time of exchanging stories about the past and laughing off the troubles of the present.

I thought about those days when I walked into the hospital with Paws and Wadjet. I had been subjected to Wadjet's beautification that morning. My hair was curled into bouncing locks. She must have bought me clothes in the city while I slept because she had them lying on my bed when I woke up. The top I liked; a silk green blouse that was very oriental looking. However, the pants she got me were a black leather I normally wouldn't be caught dead in if I didn't have Wadjet giving me a glare that said I would be dead if I didn't put it on.

I was uncomfortable with people looking at us (though ignoring Paws, lucky dog) as we headed upstairs to Anubis' room. I, at least, had some imperfections in my appearance I was grasping to. One was my bandaged shoulder. Wadjet had nearly put a healing spell on it before I realized what she was doing. "Why stay injured when you can be healed in two seconds?" she scolded in exasperation. I could tell she was disgusted by it, but I didn't know how to tell her how much I needed it.

Then there was the medical mask I had over my mouth. When first walking outside I had thought it was a foggy day. However, the fog was actually smog, and it wasn't long before I was coughing as I desperately gasped for clean air that wasn't there. My voice sounded different to me. I wondered what kind of filter the hospital had to clean out the air in the building. The clean, though stale, air was refreshing, but I didn't want to rid myself of my mask even if I could breathe.

We found Imhotep standing in the hall when we arrived. He appeared discontent as he stopped us in our tracks.

"I'm sorry. You'll have to wait. I'm not allowing visitors." He locked eyes with Wadjet saying, "I can't get the Pharoah to listen to me. Perhaps you could talk to him."

"Why?" I asked. "What's going on?"

"Anubis is awake," Imhotep replied.

Simultaneously as Imhotep said that, a body appeared to be blasted out of the room and crashed into the opposite wall with a tremendous force that no doubt caused some damage. Dark shadows seemed to seep out of the cracks of the room and carefully closed the door until it clicked shut. Everyone rushed over to the crumpled blond man slumped on the floor. Imhotep reached him first scolding, "This is why I told you no visitors."

Horus the Child chuckled. "You know, I've always said his bark is worse than his bite, but," he let out a groan as he stiffly stood up, "his bite still hurts a lot."

"You had it coming!" Came an angry voice from behind.

An entourage of gods and goddesses came to join us in the hall. In the lead was Thoth, looking surly as he stormed towards us. He was wearing his usual white lab coat but being out of his chaotic office and into the clean hospital made his attire look messier than I remembered. Following behind was Horus the Elder looking like he had just left the gym after lifting weights. Isis was beside him dressed in an outfit beautiful enough to be in Wadjet's taste.

Thoth towered over Little Horus and he looked like he would rather be anywhere but here. "I finally have you cornered!"

"I wouldn't say I'm cornered. This is a pretty long hallway - "

"227 books! It was 227 books and a whole isle of bookcases that you destroyed!"

"It wouldn't have been so bad if the bookcases weren't electric and hooked into the floor - "

"Not to mention the terrified mortals I had console!"

"They wouldn't have seen me using magic, so I'm sure what they thought they saw wasn't so bad - "

"Isreal, Horus!" Thoth bellowed. "You pulled your stunt in a library in Isreal! They all thought you were a terrorist! I can't say they were wrong!"

"I'm a king!" Horus shouted back, standing up from the cracked spot in the floor.

"Are you? Then it's about time you stop acting like a child and start living up to your father's name!"

Horus' pride finally crumbled and he looked away with shame written in his face. In a mutter he asked, "What do you want then? Money for the damages?"

"I don't want anything you can summon with magic. You are going to work off your debt."

"What?" Horus replied as though he had never heard the phrase before.

"You're going to work in one of my libraries helping with cataloging and whatever other work the mortals will think up for you. You won't be done until you've completed 5,000 hours of work, and I expect you to finish by the turn of the century."

"You want me to be a librarian?" Horus asked in exasperation. "I can't waste my time working in a library! I have to catch Set for what he's done to Anubis! I need to enter the American government so I can become President and rule again! Even Nakia's helping me!"

"Hey, don't drag me into this," I voiced up. "I like books."

"It won't be so bad, kiddo," said Horus the Elder. He came over and rested a hand on Horus the Child's shoulder. "Just lug some books around for a while and make Thoth happy. I'll handle Set for ya."

Little Horus shrugged off his hand saying, "I'm not a kid!" as he did so. Little Horus held so much resentment in his glare it was easy to tell he didn't like his uncle. It surprised me that with how much they were the same, from names to the funky two eye colors, that they would be so different in every other aspect.

"Enough!" It seemed that everyone, including me, had forgotten Imhotep was there. We all looked at him. He looked flustered over his shout and gave a deep bow before saying, "Excuse me, but I'm not allowing visitors as Anubis needs his rest. Could you please take your conversation into the waiting room?"

While Imhotep spoke, Paws snuck past him to Anubis' door. He pawed at the door with a soft whine. The handle turned without any visible force, and the door cracked open enough to let the dog in. By the time the door softly closed itself even Imhotep had turned around taking notice.

Little Horus smirked. "No visitors, huh?"

"No unwelcome visitors," Imhotep retorted while Horus crossed his arms still standing on the cracked tile.

The group began to disperse. Big Horus walked off with a muttering Thoth with Wadjet trotting behind him without a glance at Little Horus behind her. Isis walked up to Little Horus and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm glad you're doing well," she said to him.

Little Horus grumpily mumbled something I couldn't understand. I spark of anger at Horus' disregard lit in my heart but I didn't let it show. Isis smiled at me and left to join the other gods. Little Horus turned to me and asked, "Have you eaten?"

"No."

"Good. Let's get out of here." He grabbed my hand and practically dragged me to the elevator. "You're hair looks nice," he said at the elevator door. I scowled. He didn't mention my appearance again.

* * *

China's breakfast is nothing like America's breakfast. If they have a staple breakfast food, I didn't find it. It all looked like food you would eat for lunch or dinner to me. While Horus was fine eating noodles in a hot broth, I could only settle with eating bread. They were very soft and slightly sweet.

Horus didn't speak, instead jabbing chopsticks into his bowl and loudly slurping his noodles. I was in my own lapse of silence. I couldn't stop from revisiting the fight against Set. It terrified me, both being caught into a trap with that god and nearly losing Anubis. But what disturbed me the most was, in the moments I was sure I was going to die, I would think of my parents in that paradise within the duat and would hope for death. Since then, I've told myself I don't want to die. I believe that. So why had I invited death when it was so close to me if I believed I wanted to live?

I was jolted out of my internal thoughts by Horus slamming on the table making some of the broth splash from his bowl. People looked at him and there was a moment of silence before they continued their conversations. After so much silence, Horus bursted into a rant.

"How could Thoth do that?! I'm not some sort of slave who has to do whatever he tells me! He has no idea the responsibilities I carry on my shoulders! I am the king of humanity yet I haven't had a position of power since the great wars! It used to be that being born into the family line got you into power, but now humanity has complicated things with voting and electing leaders! The last two countries I tried to rule didn't vote for me because they thought I was 'too much of a dictator'! I told them, 'I'm not a dictator. I'm a king,' and they all blew up like I wanted to destroy their countries!

"On top of taking care of humanity, I also have the personal responsibility of keeping Set in his place! He's gotten himself out of control! He nearly killed his wife's son, my brother, and like hell I'm going to let my stupid uncle go after him without me! If I can't bring a stop to Set, the balance of chaos and order will become unstable which could threaten the existence of humanity! How then am I supposed to rule as a president if humanity is dead?! But, no! All Thoth cares about is his stupid books!"

"Yeah, he has some really messed up priorities…"

"Exactly!" Horus 'hmphed' and drank out of his bowl like it was a cup. After Horus' temper tantrum I wasn't sure whether to laugh or be disturbed.

"Why did you blow up those books anyway?"

Horus took an extra moment to finish drinking from the bowl before answering. "Well, mostly I wanted to see what he would do, but I guess I'm still a bit bitter that he wouldn't get rid of those statues like I asked."

"What statues?"

"They're in one of the museums he funds. I told him they're terrible and their existence should be erased. He said he wouldn't do such a thing!"

"So you blew up his books instead of the statues?"

Horus was taken by surprise. "Ra Above," he muttered, "why didn't I think of that?"

"So what was so horrible about those statues that you wanted them destroyed?"

"They're monuments to Aten?"

"And that's bad?"

"Of course! You weren't there. You don't know how bad it was for us when a human banned our worship. The guy even used his made up god, Aten, to get Egypt to worship him."

"So Aten isn't a real god?"

"Not at all. Humans will make up their own gods sometimes, like we're not standing right in front of them. Aten is about as real as Amun."

My head started to feel fuzzy, like a storm had formed inside it. "I thought Amun was a god?" I asked, hearing how different my tone had turned but unable to control it.

If Horus noticed, he didn't show it. He was playing with one of his chopsticks earning him sharp looks from several people. "Nope, just another figment of human's imaginations. I never could make Amun's followers go away. But you know," Horus pointed his chopstick at me with a large smile. The people staring at him looked even more offended. "I was smart when handling that problem. His following was becoming too large in Upper Egypt. The followers of Ra in Lower Egypt were growing unruly over Amun's growing popularity. It threatened a second civil war. So I played the human's game. I made up the god Amun-Ra to bring the two sects together. Worked like a charm."

"You combined two gods together? Not exactly creative."

"Yeah, but at least Ra got half the credit. He wanted his name to be first, but how weird does Ramun sound?"

Horus sighed, resting back in his chair and looked out the window. I was feeling a strange twinge holding my heart. Horus was wrong. Maybe all the gods were wrong. I've seen how Anubis can't see Amun like I can, but it looks like all the gods are ignorant to his existence. Should I tell him? Even if I did, I felt like it wouldn't do anything. Amun had half of Egypt worshipping him and the god's still believed he was a made-up god. What would my word mean compared to that?

"I tried to wipe his existence off the Earth…" Horus said softly.

"Who?"

"Akhenaten and his fake god Aten," he answered. "I took the throne back from him and had his name wiped from all the records, destroyed any image of him, tore down the temples to Aten he built… I wasn't diligent enough."

Horus eyes were distant looking out the window like he could see Egypt outside of it. "A lot of our temples were affected during that time. Most were repurposed into temples, but some were simply dismantled.

"I remember when Anubis had a temple to him taken apart. At that point, many of the gods were outraged over the destruction that was taking place, but Anubis always stayed out of it. I found him sitting at the steps of his temple with only the foundation remaining. I thought he would finally be angry enough to help with forcing Akhenaten off the throne. I told him, 'If you help me reclaim the throne, I can get your temple back.' He smiled at me and said, 'I don't serve mortals so that they'll worship me.' He left his temple behind and never did get involved."

Horus leaned forward looking at his empty bowl. "I wish I had asked him why back then. It always puzzled me. By the time I did, it was too late."

"How was it too late?" I asked.

Horus shook his head. "It was probably a decade before Anubis lost his heart that I thought of asking him. He was in a bad mood that day. He kept asking things like, why do we keep doing these things? Why do I keep serving as a king to humans? Why does Ra continue sailing between the Earth and duat? Crazy questions like that.

"I reminded him of what he said that day. I finally asked him, 'Why do you continue collecting their dead if you don't want them to revere you?' He said, 'If I had a reason, I have long forgotten it.'"

Horus chuckled. "Sorry, I got a bit nostalgic there. Let's go back. Maybe Anubis won't hurl me out of the room this time."

I followed him out. I could relate to Horus. I wanted to know what kind of god Anubis was before he lost his heart, but we both were unable to understand him. It seems there was a time that even Anubis didn't understand himself. I did have half a mind to ask, "Why did Anubis throw you out the first time?"

He smirked and replied, "I haven't the faintest clue. All I did was bare my soul on how much he had frightened me and how happy I was he didn't die. All he said was, 'I had forgotten how annoying you are,' and he threw me out.

"Just like old times."

* * *

There was a whole wing dedicated to Anubis' visitors. Poor Imhotep had his hands full trying to keep the coming and going gods placated while also keeping to his human patients. He still wasn't allowing visitors.

"Anubis is pretty popular," I remarked to Horus.

Horus shrugged. "He's respected. I think half of the gods here wouldn't have come if dad wasn't losing his mind right now."

"He is?"

"Are you kidding? Dad hates being cooped up in the duat. I bet he's going to every god he can asking how Anubis is doing."

"I didn't think of that. I can't imagine what it was like for the person who broke the news to him?"

Horus furrowed his brow. "What are you talking about? You were the one who told him."

"What?"

Horus pointed to the center of my chest. "You told all of us. Scared the death out of me when you said he was dying."

I touched my chest feeling the indent of the amulets under my shirt. I remember how I had clutched at my chest when I didn't know what to do and felt my necklace grow burning hot. It wasn't until then I remembered the card Thoth gave me. Thoth must have heard me through the amulet. I didn't think that Horus and Osiris would also hear me through the amulets too.

Speaking of Thoth, Horus stopped where he stood when he saw Thoth at the end of the ward. Thoth was talking with Isis by a window. I could feel the waves of anger and contempt radiating off of Horus.

"Come on, Nakia. I'll introduce you to some gods."

He grabbed my arm to carry me into one of the side rooms but I pulled away. "I'll catch up with you in a second, Horus. Okay?"

He looked between me and glaring daggers at Thoth, but he eventually turned and stormed into the other room. I approached Thoth and Isis as they were carried away in their own conversation.

"…but then I found that directing magic to the atmosphere around the molecules worked better than electrical based magic. I have figure out how to create proper chemical reaction. I just need to find a method that mortals could replicate."

"Human technology has progressed far enough that it should be possible for them to create the same conditions."

"Yes, one of my apprentices is already coming up with his own idea. The only thing that bothers me is how much energy it wastes."

"Hello, Nakia," Isis inserted. Thoth turned and nodded to address me.

"Hi, I'm sorry to interrupt."

"Not at all," she said. "We were only making small talk. I'm so glad to see you're doing well, especially after all that's happened."

"Thanks," I replied, flustered. "I actually wanted to thank you, Thoth. I wouldn't have been able to help Anubis if you hadn't helped me."

"You never said you played a part, Thoth," Isis remarked.

"I had Seshat direct her here so I suppose I did."

"I wanted to ask you about that, actually. Seshat said she was your other, but I don't know what she meant by that."

Isis interjected explaining, "Many gods have others. A god can be powerful enough that we make a reflection onto the world that has a physical form. They are neither their own god nor are they duplicates of ourselves. They are something in between."

"What would that make them, then? Like shadows, or what was the name… sheut?"

"Shadows are very different from reflections," Thoth said. "A shadow is just one of our souls. A reflection is its own existence."

I rubbed at my head, not being able to wrap my head around it. I already struggled with viewing shadows as souls. It was something else to think of reflections being anything other than a reflection.

"It's okay if you don't understand. Us gods don't fully understand them as well. There are many with strained relationships with their others."

"Useful creatures, though. Anyway, we'll have to continue our talk on thermonuclear magic later. I need to get to Italy for a conference. Could you let me know when Imhotep will be allowing visitations?"

"Certainly," Isis replied.

"Then if you will excuse me, ladies." Thoth waved to us and left. It was just me and Isis standing by the window now. I wasn't sure what to say.

"Set always goes after my loved ones," Isis said while gazing out the window. "First Osiris, then my little Horus, and now Anubis."

"You must hate him," I said.

"No. I'm angry with him. I don't like what he does, but he is my brother and I will always love him."

"How can you love him? He killed your husband, didn't he?"

I realized too late how insensitive my statement was. But Isis only asked, "Do you have any siblings, Nakia?"

I shook my head.

"Maybe if you did you would understand. When you have a brother or sister, no matter how different they are from you and how much you can't get along, there will always be a part of your heart that will continue to love them. Maybe that's why it's always so much more painful when these things happen."

I never had any siblings, but what she described reminded me a bit of my aunt and uncle. It was hard adjusting to living with them and I remembered how angry I would get at them sometimes. I had said I hated them out of my anger, but that was never true, and it never would be. But I couldn't share the feelings she had for Set. She may love her brother, but all I saw in him was a chaotic monster.

"You know," Isis said, "Ever since arriving here I keep thinking about Anubis when he was a child. He was such a sweet boy, but too serious for such a young boy. I guess he's always been like that."

"Do you have any pictures?" I asked.

"There weren't any cameras five millennia ago, and the arts weren't developed enough for accurate portraits, either."

"Oh, yeah… I forget how old he is."

She smiled and looked out the window. There was silence as we drifted in our thoughts. I eventually gathered the courage to ask, "Could I ask you something that might be a bit personal?"

"I don't mind."

"You said you don't hate Set because he's your brother, so I'm guessing that you feel the same way about Nephthys since she's your sister. But were you mad at her when she had a child with you husband?"

Despite my expectations, Isis laughed and asked, "Who told you about that? It couldn't have been Anubis."

"No, Thoth told me about it."

"Oh, I wouldn't expect him to skip any details. I suppose he was being sensitive towards you." She crossed her arms in front of her, and smiled in a way that made me think of her son Horus. "Would you like to know a secret?"

"I guess…" I said.

Isis leaned her head by my ear and whispered, "It was my idea."

I was shocked, and pulled away to look at Isis. "No way. Why?"

She leaned on the window sill looking pleased with herself. It was very different from my impression of her. "She wanted her own child so badly. How could I not help her? Besides, she isn't clever enough by herself to pull it off, not to mention she would never think to do it if I hadn't pushed her into it."

"But what about Osiris?"

"What about him? As far as he knows it was Nephthys' plot. She happily took the blame and never mentioned how I was involved. Of course, some gods know better. Thoth saw right through it from the start but promised to keep out of it. I'm sure Anubis has found out as well, either from Nephthys or he figured it out himself, but he wouldn't tell anyone."

I couldn't say anything so I stayed quiet and looked out the window. There wasn't much to see. Only some buildings and the smog making it look foggy. I had pegged Isis as a sweet and loving person. She acted as much and always seemed so motherly to Horus and Anubis both. Her story changed all that. It wasn't so much she lied and used her husband, but that I was disturbed by apathy about it; like it didn't matter. As I thought about it, a dangerous question lingered at the tip of my tongue. I needed to know, but I didn't think it would be safe to ask Isis. I swallowed the question. I would find out another way.

"It all worked out," Isis reminisced. "In the end, Anubis came to be. It really was a great idea, don't you think?"

She looked at me so intensely she must have seen through me. She understood that I disapproved of what she did. It was like she was asking, 'Would you have done anything different had you known Anubis would never be born otherwise?' I couldn't answer that. I could only think to slyly remark, "You're lucky to have a sister like Nephthys."

"Yes, that's very true," she said. She looked down the hall, smiling.

"I can't imagine where we would be without her."

* * *

Little Horus was good on his word and introduced me to the gods that came to visit. I can honestly say I cannot remember a single one of their names. If they had names I was used to maybe that wouldn't be true, but I was overloaded with so many Egyptian names, they all started to blend together.

What did stay with me were the different impressions I had of them. I could tell which ones had the closest relationship with Anubis because they treated me as though I were an equal to them. There was one god (whose name reminded me of a type of bread, I recalled) who spent a lot of time making pleasant conversation and seemed to care about getting to know me. Apparently he was once a mentor of sorts to Anubis when Anubis was young and I felt ashamed I couldn't remember his name.

The rest of the gods didn't seem so pleased to make my acquaintance. There were some that didn't quite know what to take of me; a mortal who became the eye to a god. Others seemed offended by my existence and were quick to find a reason to break the conversation. And then there were the ones that saw me as insignificant as if Horus had found a nice potted plant he wanted to show them. I thought their impressions were probably the most accurate.

The whole time I was growing more and more irritated at Horus' boastful way of introducing me. Every time the first thing out of his mouth was, "This is Nakia, the Eye of Anubis". It made me feel self-conscious that he had to mention my connection to Anubis to everyone, especially since I still didn't understand what this connection was. Eventually, I pulled him aside and asked him to stop. He seemed a bit surprised but patiently explained, "What's wrong with that? It's your title, just like I've been telling you all the god's titles too." In an exaggerated voice, he proclaimed, "This is the god of thunder. Please meet the god of the sea. And this here is the goddess of music."

"Is there really a goddess of music?"

"Mhmm. Hathor's a patron of music, dance, the arts, and all that stuff."

"Cool."

"Not really. She's a bit schizophrenic. You don't want to meet her other personality. Anyway," Horus emphasized, "it's just a traditional part of observing each other's roles. You don't need to take it so seriously."

"Titles aren't really important," I said as I recalled Anubis telling me this when I first met him.

"Exactly!" Horus asserted.

Through the day, gods and goddesses continually came in and out. Imhotep was stern in holding his "no visitors" policy, and many gods were perturbed to come all the way here to only be turned away. It was near dusk that the stream of visitors began to trickle out. Horus explained that many gods would be assembling with Atum (god of the setting sun and another alter-ego of Ra, he informed me) on the Millennium boat to make the daily journey through the duat. Others would be catching up on work they put off today and Horus spitefully wished that Thoth had an extra mountain of paper work on his desk.

Eventually, Little Horus was coaxed by Big Horus and Wadjet into leaving as well, though he vehemently insisted he would be back before the break of dawn. I was left alone in the waiting room of the empty hospital wing. Even Paws was not with me as he never returned after slipping into Anubis' room. I did take the chance to board our lonely boat drifting in front of the hospital to change my clothes. I brushed the curls out of my hair and vigorously wiped away the makeup. I was glad Wadjet left with the two Horuses.

Returning to the empty waiting room lit with the artificial lights of night, I was plagued with horrible thoughts. I had spent my day in the company of many but through the whole day I felt terribly lonely. I wasn't one of them. When Bastet and Wadjet were in a corner talking together, I couldn't approach them. Being the eyes of a god should have given us something in common with them, but my humanity separated us. I didn't belong here, and I wondered what I was doing acting along with them when I would never be a part of this world.

I wasn't sure if I dozed off. I was laying on one of the couches staring at the floor. I felt like I had been looking at the tiled floor for a long time when a hand softly shook me. I looked up to see Imhotep standing over me.

"How is he?" I asked.

"He's sleeping now."

"I'll stay in our boat for the night, then."

"No, you can come to see him." I was a bit wary, but when Imhotep waited for me to get up, I decided I should go with him.

In his room, there was no longer a curtain drawn around his bed. Anubis lay in the bed with the covers drawn up. Paws was curled up at his feet. He perked up when we came in, but otherwise didn't leave his spot. I sat at the edge of the bed beside him and scratched behind his ears. "I missed you, buddy."

Paws rolled on his back with his tongue hanging out. As I rubbed his belly, Imhotep interrupted our love fest. "I've told the nurses you're allowed to be in here for the night. I've been here for most of the day so I'll have to leave. I can't have my staff wondering why I don't sleep."

"Are you leaving me in his care?"

"It is night now. He'll heal quickest in the moonlight. He should be fine. I would merely feel better if you were here with him along with the nurses."

"I can do that."

He smiled and nodded. "I've already pulled the couch out into a bed. If you need anything else, there is a button to page the nurses with."

"Alright."

"Take care of yourself, Nakia."

Imhotep turned to leave. Unbeknownst to him, when he opened the door someone slipped into the room. Completely unaware, he stepped out and the door clicked shut behind him.

"I knew you would come," I said to the figure.

"And how did you know that?" Amun asked.

"You warned me not to give Anubis his heart but I didn't listen. Now you're here to rub it in."

"I wouldn't say 'rub it in'. I would say it's more like a friendly reminder that heeding my warnings is usually a good idea."

"Consider your friendly reminder noted."

Amun took no hesitation to sit beside me at the foot of Anubis' bed. Although Anubis was too deep in slumber to notice anything, Paws raised his head. Paws perked his ears, but seeing as I wasn't showing any signs of distress, he decided to curl back to sleep. It didn't surprise me Paws could see him. I suppose I had come to trust his senses could pick up these things.

"I need you for something," I said to Amun.

"I need you for something as well, but that can wait. What is your need?"

"Since you're the god of hidden things, if someone were keeping a secret you would know about it, right?"

"Of course. No one keeps secrets from me."

"So you know that Isis lied about her involvement in tricking Osiris. Nephthys took all the blame even though it wasn't even her idea."

"Oh yeah," Amun snickered. "It's not a tightly kept secret. Osiris knows but chooses to pretend he doesn't, as well as some other gods. Why do you bring it up?"

"I want to know what else Isis has done that Nephthys is taking the blame for."

Amun smiled in a way that made it look like he was holding in a laugh. There was a moment of silence before he uttered, "Go on."

I sighed and confessed, "I think Isis may have been involved in taking Anubis' heart."

This time he did laugh, bursting out in near hysterics. At first I panicked he might wake Anubis but realized Anubis wouldn't be able to hear him. I waited, growing frustrated with him.

"Oh, that's grand," he finally said. "I like the way you're thinking."

"So I'm right?"

"No, you're dead wrong. Isis would never do that to Anubis. But this is good."

"What's so good about it?" I skeptically asked.

"You're no longer swallowing everything the gods tell you. You're questioning them. If you want to know what is really going on, that is what you'll have to do to find your answers."

I was uneasy. Being completely in the care of gods, it didn't seem right to always be skeptical of whether they were telling me the truth. Yet no one knows why Nephthys stole Anubis' heart. My impression is that there wasn't motive. That or no one wants to tell the whole truth of what happened just like no one wants to say that Isis betrayed her husband.

"Fine, I'll think about it. At least tell me why Isis wouldn't -"

I was cut off by a nurse walking into the room. She came in holding a clipboard and looked up from it with a stern expression. "I hope you could keep your voices down while the patient sleeps. I could hear you laughing from the hall."

"I'm sorry, ma'am," Amun replied courteously. "I wasn't trying to wake anyone. I promise it won't happen again."

She looked between the two of us suspiciously. "Dr. Ankh said only a young woman would be staying in this room."

"Oh, he must not have had time to tell you. I'm Nick Darnell, Andrew's brother. I wasn't supposed to arrive until tomorrow but I got an earlier flight and just got here. He let me come in with Nakia, but I won't be staying. He said it was fine as long as I didn't stay long."

"I didn't hear this from the doctor."

"He looked awfully tired, ma'am. He must have been working a long shift."

The nurse tapped her feet, but gave a sigh and said, "Fine, I'll give you ten minutes to wrap things up and then I'll expect you to leave."

"You are too generous, ma'am." She seemed unable to keep up a fight with Amun. After checking on the IV and machines hooked up to Anubis, she swiftly left the room giving Amun a pointed look before leaving.

"I see why I have to question what the gods say."

He smirked and replied, "Of course. You can't trust any of us."

"Why would you let her see you, though?" I asked.

"It's not that I let her. Mortals can see me fine. It's only the gods I hide from."

"Why?"

"It's a secret."

I frowned, but Amun was enjoying himself too much to care. He stood up, stretching his arms as he did, and spoke. "I suppose no one has told you the story of how Set managed to kill Isis' child."

"No," I answered in shock. "I've never heard of that."

"It's no surprise. Those who remember that day don't speak of it. Isis' cries of pain were so terrible she even made the sun go still. It's a painful memory even to those uninvolved."

"Who was the child?"

"I could show you. Seeing it is the only way you can appreciate what happened. Then you would understand why Isis could never hurt Anubis."

I shifted uncomfortably. I wanted to know. Curiosity was bursting in my chest, but I knew where this was going. As last, I blurted out despite the nurse's scolding, "Why does it have to be a kiss?"

Amun actually looked surprised and questioned, "What's wrong with that?"

"It's perverted, that's what!"

With an impassive look, he walked directly in front of me and bent to my level until our noses were inches from each other. I was waiting for it, but he only said, "I don't find you the least bit attractive." He back away and mused, "This world has become so ignorant about magic."

"I've seen magic and it didn't involve any kissing!"

Amun sighed and took a seat at the pull-out bed. He seemed dejected, like this conversation had suddenly become a chore. "We'll start from the top. What do you need to perform a spell on someone?"

"The magic word," I replied sarcastically.

"Before that."

"Do I look like a magician?"

"First, you need a part of the person. The easiest to obtain is the person's name."

"How is a name part of them?"

"It is one of our souls, and as much a part of us as our limbs. We call them our ren. If someone knows your name, they can work whatever magic they wish on you, which is why we guard our names so adamantly.

"But you can use other parts of a person. Things like blood or a lock of hair works as well."

"That sounds like voodoo."

"Magic has many names but it's all the same. If you're in the presence of the person, then you can work the magic directly on them, but there are limitations depending on the spell your using and if your contact is just at skin surface or deeper."

Amun leaned forward where he sat and continued. "Now this is where it gets interesting. Do you know which part of the body the blood is most exposed."

I shook my head.

"The lips. That's what makes them red. Of course, the Egyptians didn't understand what it was about making contact with the lips that made magic so easy to perform. They just knew there was something special about it."

"That's a terrible excuse! You're a god. You should be able to work magic without having to do that."

"Taking and giving memories is very difficult to do. But, like you said, you're not a magician so I don't expect you to understand."

I folded my arms and scowled at him.

He remarked, "You're right in a way. There are gods that those kinds of spells come naturally to them." He fell backwards lying on the bed. He outstretched a hand, fingers spread out, as he said wistfully, "What I would give to be one of those gods."

"So it's about working magic on the blood, I take it."

"Essentially, yes," Amun replied from where you laid.

I got up from the bed and walked to the trolley that sat next to Anubis. The top drawer had what I wanted. I took the small scalpel and swiped it across my finger. The cut opened with a small drop of blood growing from it. I walked over to the bed and held my hand for him to see.

Amun knit his brows. "You're so reckless. You have no idea how dangerous that is."

"I'll burn the band-aid when the cut heals." The blood started to curl around my finger.

"Show me."

Amun stayed where he laid, but lift a hand to hold mine. His finger smeared across the trail of blood. The hospital room disappeared into the darkness.


	19. Thoth Babysits the Child Gods

**Chapter 19: Thoth Babysits the Child Gods**

The sun was high in the sky over the ever stretching sands of Egypt. Of course the sun wasn’t visible to us. Being on the Millennium Boat sailing through the sky we were the sun that all below could see. The mortals underneath drowning from the sweat on their brow looked to us in the distance cursing the heat but praising its light. It was a precarious balance. The sun’s rays claimed the lives of so many but without life could not exist.

The source of the sunlight, the great god Ra, was standing near the ledge looking down at the scenery below. There were sounds of weapons clashing and shouts of rage and pain. These sounds were common to hear nowadays. Osiris, the king of Egypt, was dead. Set has taken his throne and the whole land was filled with monsters and beasts born from his chaos. It was a dark time to live in Egypt.

But I am no warrior or ruler. I couldn’t fight battles alongside the other gods. What I can do is gather knowledge that will aid those who can fight. This was the task I set about now as the boat flows through the glistening air. Laid out on the table before me was a map drawn out to show important settlements, topography, and various land features. Although the mortals had many places they huddled together over the lands to keep safe from the dangers of the desert, they did not bother to name their homes. Large expanses were unmarked, blank, making it hard to describe in words the locations of all these settlements.

As the battle cries started to die and settle, I pondered this. It would be incomplete to leave all these cities without any sort of name. But as much as I pride myself in my ingenuity in the sciences, creativity is not my strongest suit.  What names should be given to all these places?

“Ho man, Ra, did you see that?!” From over the boats ledge a golden haired man pulled himself into the boat carrying a scimitar still dripping in blood. His bronze skin had smears of blood mixed with sand but he was mostly unscathed himself. His eyes were full of spirit from the battle he had just come from victoriously. At least in these dark times the warrior god Horus was enjoying himself.

“I had, what, fifty or so of those serpent monsters on me. Then, WHAM, grabbed one and used it to beat up it’s friends. I think I managed to fit twelve snakes on that one spear! Man, that was awesome!”

“You did well,” Ra praised in a calm tone. “Your actions will help bring some peace in these chaotic times. This victory will be remembered by many.”

“Of course they will!” Horus held his chest out in pride.

“They certainly will remember, Horus,” I interjected. “In fact, from this day forward the people will call this land ‘the city where Horus made an awesome snake kebab.’” To further demonstrate my point I started writing the name on the map.

“Thoth, are you seriously writing that down?”

I smirked and said nothing. Horus’ grandiose manner deflated at the thought of being remembered in such a comedic manner.

And so it continued. As our journey through the sky marked the passing hours, Horus continued to leave the boat at the slightest sign of trouble. Each time he returned he would tell of some sort of thrilling feat he made. Ra would congratulate him while I would make yet another marker on the map.

“It will be known as ‘the valley where Horus did a backflip that killed like twenty or so crocodiles.’”

“Please stop.”

“And this shall be called ‘the land where Horus gutted three hippopotamuses simultaneously.’”

“That doesn’t even roll off the tongue.”

“‘The city Horus did an awesome uppercut to a monster five times his size’ sounds like a decent name.”

“I’ll do an uppercut on you if you don’t quit it!”

It carried on like this until I had a good portion of the map filled with new place names. Once I finish this I will give the gods a copy so they can better work out more battle strategies. It would be good to share it with the mortals as well so they can have place names deemed by the gods. I’m sure Horus will-

_ “AAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHHHHGGGGG!!!!!” _

And indescribable scream pierced the heavens. The female voice was so full of anguish and sorrow all who heard it felt unimaginable pain at its sound. The cry traveled all through Egypt even piercing the clouds to the sun above. So affected by it we were that the boat froze in the sky. The world froze timeless at whatever tragedy could bring such a god awful howl.

I abandoned my work and hastened to the boats ledge. All the gods who had otherwise been commandeering the boat also stood transfixed. Horus had my telescope in hand and offered it to me. “Isis,” he said in a hush voice.

I didn’t take the telescope. I wanted to see in person what had happened. I changed into an ibis and flew off the boat. Beating my wings with the current of the wind I came to a mountain crevice. Isis was there. It must have been her hiding place as Set hunted for her and her son night and day. She held the babe in her arms and wailed in pain.

I changed into a human shape and moved closer cautiously. I could now see the child’s normally amber complexion had dulled. The round arm of the child lay lifeless at his side. His chest did not move.

A crowd of mortals and gods had gathered around weeping at her side. Isis continued to cry, “He’s been bitten! My baby! My sweet child who I fashioned in my womb! Who I prayed for his life to be safe so he may save Egypt! He has perished! Why?! Why, my baby! Why…?!”

Her body shook from the sobs the burst from her bosom. From beside me Ra appeared and walked to her side. Horus stopped at my side, looking down at the scene in horror.

Ra knelt in front of Isis. “Are you sure he is truly dead? Let us look-”

“He has no breath! His blood is tainted with the poison of Uhat! That scorpion has killed my baby!”

“It can’t be,” Ra said is disbelief. “You had our protection. All those on the Millennium boat has guarded you from Set and his allies.”

“What good are your spells and incantations?! Horus is dead! He has no future now! None of us do!”

Isis shouted hysterically, but her words rang true. The child was destined since birth to grow and take the throne that had once been his father’s. Without him there wasn’t anyone who could rightfully take the kingdom back.

I walked to where Isis sat cradling her lifeless baby to her. I put a hand to her shoulder in reassurance, my hand trembling from her shaky sobs.

“There is still hope, Isis. Look around you.” As I said this she did look up. By now a multitude of gods had gathered all around for there wasn’t a single ear that did not hear her cry. They all watched in sorrow as our greatest hope lay dead in his mother’s embrace.

I said to Isis, “All the gods have gathered but someone is missing.”

“My husband…,” Isis whispered with a choke.

“I do not mean your husband,” I said now gripping both of her shoulders. “Death has not come for your son. Don’t you think that once Anubis felt Horus’ life slip away he would be the first here to give his souls peace?”

I locked her eyes with mine, “He is deliberately choosing not to come here to give Horus a chance to live again. Do not let this opportunity go to waste.” I draped my hand over the infant’s wound and began an incantation. The magic I called on was powerful; a spell I wouldn’t dare to teach anyone. I felt the draw of life’s energy from the sun god beside me, from all the gods present and all that lived on the Earth. They flew through me and into the child.

Slowly from the wound poison started to pour out. There was a shudder and the child gasped in air. The silence was broken by the cries of the baby now flushed and full of color.

Isis gripped the crying baby to her, silent tears streaming down her face. Cheers rang out as all those present celebrated their relief. Nephthys ran to her sister and wrapped her arms around Isis and her child. Although I felt strained from the intensive spell I had performed, I couldn’t wipe away the smile on my face.

Among all the faces of joy, Horus the Elder’s stood out. It was rare to see him so stone faced. Even in times when everyone else kept a serious attitude, Horus was always the one who stayed light hearted and jolly through it all.

Horus walked past the others and knelt down to Isis. His eyes were locked onto the child that bore the same name as him. As the child continued to cry Horus placed his fingers over each of the child’s eyes.

“My precious nephew, I will not fail to protect you again. You are the same as me in name, and now you will share the same sight as I. Take my eyes so that I will see every danger that comes your way. There will never be a day that your safety is overlooked. I will watch over you forever.”

“Thank you,” Isis said, her face filled with emotion. I watched as the baby opened his eyes to look at his uncle. His eyes that had once been blue with magic like his mother’s now shared the same colors as his uncle. His right eye bore the color of the sun and his left the paleness of the moon.

I wondered how the child would take this blessing in his later years. It is a great power to have, but now he will be blind in his left eye during the day and blind in the right during the night. Such is the curse that was inflicted on Horus by Set so long ago. But it was certain that Horus the Child would be protected. Every god here, and the one who did not come, would do all in their power to keep our new king alive.

* * *

Amun let go of my hand. I had a moment where I had to grapple with who I was and where I am.  _ Okay, now I am Nakia, not Thoth. I’m at the hospital in China. We were attacked by Set but survived. Anubis is in the hospital bed across the room sleeping. _

It wasn’t so hard this time to pull myself back to reality. I was somehow getting used to jumping in and out of memories from the past. Amun had grabbed some gauze from a drawer nearby and started cleaning the blood on my finger. “I’m going to use a small healing spell. It won’t affect your shoulder at all so don’t worry.”

I nodded. Of course Amun would somehow know about my refusal to heal my shoulder wound. At least he is more respectful of my wishes and not so baffled as the other gods. As he healed my small cut and disposed of any blood, I said, “So Isis feels indebted to Anubis even after all these years.”

“It’s more than that,” Amun replied. “Anubis did everything he could to help Isis and her family. When Set had the pieces of Osiris’ body spread all over Egypt, Anubis was instrumental in helping Isis find them. Him and his jackals have a way of finding where a corpse is hidden. He gave his throne to Osiris when he was reborn and then did what he could to keep his son safe on the Earth. Anubis is loyal to a fault. Isis wouldn’t dare betray that loyalty.”

Amun made the dirty gauze evaporate in the air and sat next to me on my pull out bed. “Your judge of character wasn’t wrong. Isis can be manipulative. She had once tricked Ra into giving her his  _ ren _ . She used his name to force him off the throne so Osiris could rule Egypt. She would concoct any devious plan necessary if it would benefit her family, and if Anubis stood in her way she would stop him. But it would never cross Anubis’ mind to do so and she knows this.”

“She would have no motive to take Anubis’ heart then.”

“Precisely.”

I frowned. “But neither does Nephthys.”

“That you know of.” Amun leaned closer to me wearing a grin. “So I helped you with your favor. Now will you do a favor for me?”

“Why would you need a favor from me?”

“Because I need your help with something. Or do you think because I’m a god I can do everything myself?”

“Ummm, yes.” I pulled away from him a bit. Gods have unimaginable power and can do some crazy things humans couldn’t dream of. If he’s asking a human like me for a favor, it seemed more likely that he was trying to manipulate me than ask for help.

“Well, it isn’t true,” he insisted. “There are many things humans can do that gods can’t. And I can’t do anything about this problem.”

“I’m still not buying it.”

Amun sighed and looked away. His gaze was to the window, though it was pitch black outside so there wasn’t much to see. I wondered if I should cut him some slack. Anubis wouldn’t be in a hospital bed if I had listened to him before. Despite that he answered my question, even if he seemed to do it for his own amusement. His smug attitude may be annoying, but in his own strange way I think he is trying to be helpful.

He pulled his eyes from the starry sky outside and said, “How about if you owed me? Would you do me a favor then?”

“I guess but I don’t owe you anyth-”

“Alright, so when you’re in a red hallway and you see a room marked ‘Machine Maintenance’, go in there. You’ll want to look specifically at the hard drives. I’ll think you’ll find something very interesting about them.”

“...what are you even talking about?”

“Advice!” He chirped happily. “Some friendly advice that will help you out in the near future. That way when you take my advice you’ll think, ‘Man, that was really helpful. Amun is such a good friend. I should really pay him back with a  _ favor _ .’”

“I doubt we’ll suddenly be friends.”

“So once you take my advice-”

“I never said I’d follow your advice.”

“When you do,” Amun persevered, “all I want you to do is this. The next time you’re on a boat in the river, just jump into the water. That’s it.”

I looked at him blankly. “I’ve been in rivers. I don’t like being in rivers. I’ve never had a good experience with rivers.  I’ve seen Anubis got mauled by piranhas, I nearly lost my arm to a giant crocodile, and a snake in the duat  _ ate _ me. And you want me to just throw myself into one.”

“Don’t be so dramatic. You’ll be fine!  Even if there was anything dangerous, there will be plenty of gods around to help you out.”

“That’s… no. No, that’s not reassuring at all!”

“It’s one small favor. Come on, you owe me.”

“You haven’t done anything for me yet!”

“I’ve already done a lot for you,” Amun protested. “I’m teaching you about magic. How much magic has Anubis taught you, hmm?”

“You explain one thing about magic I barely understood and now you’re basically some great teacher,” I argued sarcastically.

“You can see into memories. Open a person’s mind and they won’t be able to hide anything from you.”

“That’s your magic-”

“And yours,” He said. “You can do it too, you know. Your eyes have been closed all this time, have they not? It’s time you open them.” He got up from where he sat and looked back at me. “Also, I really hope you don’t keep that temper of yours like that with Anubis. With his anger, he may accidentally kill you.” He started making his way to the door.

It chilled me when he said it. He wasn’t threatening, but it reminded me that the one I relied on most was always changing. I couldn’t depend on him to always be the same person I knew before.

“Amun,” I called out. He stopped in front of the door and looked back to me. “Why are you even helping me?”

He paused, then he smiled. Not his smug looking smile he usually does. This one looked more genuine. “You’ve been growing on me. You’re my lucky little flower. I’d like to see you get through all this.”

He went through the door and it clicked shut behind him. A moment later I heard his muffled voice from the hallway. “I know, ten minutes. I’m leaving now. Thank you for letting me stay. And for helping my brother too-” His voice disappeared down the hall.

He left me feeling confused. He has always been annoying, invasive, and egotistical since the day I met him. He isn’t afraid to invade my personal space, and he always raises more questions than answers them. But is he being friendly? Why get involved just because he’s taken a liking to me? He must have a greater purpose than that, right?

I didn’t want to think much more about it. I was tired and still reeling from the new memory that wasn’t mine.  Isis’ scream; it pierced through my brain like a scar on the flesh. It’s not easy to get rid of. I punched the pillow on my makeshift bed and tried to get some sleep.

I may have dozed off, but it felt like no time at all when I was woken up by Anubis groaning. Paws was whining and I felt his head nuzzle mine. I tilted my head to the side to look. Anubis’ legs were twisted in his sheets. He was turning about with his eyes tightly closed and clearly in pain. I jumped out of bed and then stumbled as my vision filled with snow. Once the slight dizziness faded and I could see again, I went to his side.

Up close I could see the sweat crystaled on his forehead. There were some machines he was hooked up to, but none of them were acting differently than before. Was there a crackling sound coming from them? It was faint but I could hear something. I was definitely out of my league here.

“Umm, maybe more moonlight could help…” I went to the window and pulled the curtains apart as wide as they would go.

“Snoo… muu…” Anubis tried to speak but I couldn’t make out his words through the oxygen mask over his mouth.

“What what that?” I asked moving the mask to the side so he could talk.

He half opened his eyes and spoke again. “No… moon…”

“No, Imhotep said, he said the moonlight would heal you. It must be out.”  I looked out the window to see it, but all that was visible were city lights. This city had no stars, and from what was visible, no moon. “It might have set already or something. Let me check my app…”

Paws whimpered at the side of the bed as I crossed the room to get my tablet. I loaded up an app for constellations but also showed the sun and moon. Once I calibrated it to my location and where north was I held it out in front of me. I turned to the window and the app showed the moon to be directly out the window where it would be visible from here. But the moon wasn’t there when I pulled it down.

“The smog must be blocking it… this city is really polluted so-”

“Aaargh!”

Anubis cried out in pain. I turned to see him clutching at his chest wounds through the sheets. The crackling I heard before was louder now. It hadn’t been coming from the machines. It was coming from his chest.

My whole body filled with goosebumps. I had already seen his skin rotting from the wound before. Was it deteriorating more? Was he going to turn into a corpse like the dream I had? There was an instinct to look but I knew the sight would make me sick. My imagination was enough to have my stomach turning.

“Hold on, Anubis. I’ll see if the nurse can page Imhotep. Stay here, Paws.”

I ran out of the room and nearly tripped over a large mass just outside the door. I hopped and grabbed the wall to keep my balance. Curled up next to the door was a blonde man with his knees pulled tightly to him.

“Horus, you nearly killed me… Horus!”

“Huh?!” He snapped awake and looked up at me startled. Horus the Child pulled himself from the floor sluggishly. He rubbed his eyes slouching against the wall. “Where’s the fire?” he slurred.

“What are you doing here?”

“I was too worried to sleep so I snuck in to check how he was doing. You were asleep.” He yawned. “I guess I fell asleep out here…”

“Well, there’s a bit of a problem. I think Anubis said the moon is gone.”

Horus’ drowsiness vanished instantly. He went straight into the room and I followed close behind. Anubis was still clutching at his chest and twisting in the bed. Horus’ eyes widened, but he went around to the window. I jumped when he started shouting, “Khonsu! You gambling old geezer! What the hell?!”

“Is the moon really gone?” I asked. I went to Anubis and started rubbing his shoulder. I didn’t know what else I could do for him. Paws stood at his bedside and started licking Anubis’ clinched fist.

“Yes! And it’s a full moon too! What the hell kind of stunt is he pulling?!” He ripped the curtains shut and started pacing the room.

“I’m gonna get Imhotep…” I said pointing out the door.

“Okay,” Horus said but I wasn’t sure if he was listening. I stepped out of the room to find a nurse.

* * *

“The healing incantations are losing their hold. His wounds are starting to revert back to their original state. Most of the poison has been burnt out of his system but what lingers may have an affect on his body again.”

We sat together in the waiting room as Imhotep explained Anubis’ condition. Anubis had a sleeping spell put on him and Paws was with him so he wasn’t in immediate danger. With the moon gone, though, his health would only worsen.

Horus rubbed the bridge of his nose. “So the poison will become a threat on his life again?”

“No, there isn’t enough to kill him. It could keep him out of commision until we can get an incantation to stick.”

“Fine,” Horus said standing up. “I’ll go see Khonsu and get the moon back”

Imhotep rubbed his sleeve sheepishly. “Don’t take this as being rude, my pharaoh, but the only god known to be able to outwit Khonsu is Thoth. I don’t think going alone would be a wise decision.”

“Did you see how angry Thoth is with me? He’s not going to do me favors any time soon.”

“We have to try,” I said. “We can’t run in without a plan. It’d just make things worse.”

Horus sighed in frustration, scratching his head making his hair flop up and down as he did. “The moment he sees me he’ll probably lock me into library purgatory.”

I looked at his furrowed eyes as they stared deep in thought and had an idea. I wasn’t sure if it would work out, but it was the best I had. “Let’s just go to the  _ duat _ and talk to him,” I suggested. “Unless there’s a way that Khonsu will help us without outwitting him.”

“No.” Horus and Imhotep said in unison.

“Right. Okay. Thoth would be the easier to persuade. Let's do that.”

* * *

Horus and I stood outside Thoth’s office. Imhotep promised to keep an eye on Anubis and let us know if his condition changed. Paws also stayed behind glued to the foot of Anubis’ bed.

Getting to the  _ duat _ wasn’t difficult, but I could tell Horus wasn’t a fan of this place. We sped past each gate until we reached the judgment hall. Even then, Horus kept a brisk pace weaving through the halls without stopping. I had to lightly jog to keep him in my sight.

“This isn’t going to work…” Horus groaned staring futily at Thoth’s door.

“It will, but we need a plan.”

“I’ve. Got. Nothing,” he said emphasizing each word.

“I have one.”

Horus looked taken aback and turned to me. “Really? What do you have in mind?”

I paused and looked sternly into Horus’ eyes. I prepared myself knowing this would be the hardest part of my plan. “Horus, if you want Thoth’s help you’re gonna have to apologize to him for the library thing.”

“What? Why? He’s already making me work in his stupid book prison! He should apologize to me for making me waste my time!”

“Horus, you destroyed his books. Books are, like, his favorite thing. Have you seen his office?” I said gesturing to the door.

“But he doesn’t take me seriously. Ever. I asked for his help with something and he brushed me off calling me a kid. Horus the child. You need to grow up. He had it coming,” he argued jabbing his finger to emphasize each point.

I crossed my arms “You know, only a kid argues this much about having to only say ‘sorry.’”

“Come on, Nakia. Not you too,” Horus said with some irritation.

Whoops. I pressed a nerve there. “Listen,” I said trying to make my voice more soothing. “I’ve… read some stories about the old days. From the sounds of it Thoth saved your life that one day you nearly died.”

“Everyone always brings that up.  _ ‘Be nice to Thoth. You’re alive because of him.’  _ I was a baby. I didn’t ask for his help.”

I had underestimated how difficult it would be to persuade him. He really has a chip on his shoulder when it comes to Thoth. “Then how about Anubis. He did you a huge favor that day. And now he needs you. If you don’t want to do it for Thoth, do it from him.”

Horus looked at me suspiciously. “I don’t remember any of the stories including Anubis in them. He likes to be left out of the legends.”

“Oh, you know,” I tried to think on the spot while not looking like I was scrambling for an excuse. “It’s just a feeling I got while reading it. You were dead there for a moment. Dealing with the dead is his thing and all.”

“Mmm…” He seemed accept my excuse, but he still looked reluctant as we stood in front of the towering door.

“Just make it simple. Fast and quick like a bandaid. I can take the rest from there, but I’m not going to be able to convince him of anything if you two are glaring at each other the whole time.”

“...I hate your plans,” he protested, but nonetheless he pushed the door open and I followed after him.

His office was a wreck as ever. It’s hard to tell if the piles of papers and books were any taller since they always seemed so tall they were ready to fallover.  Thoth was at his desk scribbling away in a notebook. One of his paper stacks precariously balanced a mug and tea kettle on it. He took a sip from his mug without stopping from his work.

I peeked around his book stacks trying to find a place to put my feet so I was at least close to his desk. “Hey Thoth,” I said but he didn’t look away from his work. Remembering how absorbed he gets in what he’s doing, I leaned half my body over just to reach close enough to wave in front of his eyes. “Thooooth,” I called to him.

He blinked and finally pulled his eyes off his writing to look at me. He was surprised as he said, “Oh, Nakia! I was not expecting you. Shouldn’t you be at the hospital with Anubis?”

“We’ll get to that, but first Horus has something he wants to say.” I went to Horus and goaded him forward. He took slow reluctant footsteps to Thoth’s desk, his head turned refusing to look at Thoth.

Thoth looked unimpressed. “If you are trying to get out of your service to me it won’t work. My decision is final and-” Horus made an incoherent mumbling sound that cut Thoth off. “What was that?” Thoth asked. I pat Horus’ back in hopes that it would encourage him.

Horus spoke up but sped through the words. “I’m sorry I blew up your books and scared the humans. I won’t do it again.  It wasn’t as funny as I thought it would be anyway… ”

Thoth looked at him stunned. He didn’t seem to know what to think. He looked back and forth between him and me. I smiled awkwardly wondering if Thoth would accept the apology even if it was obviously my idea. Thoth’s scrutinized me with his gaze. “Are you using magic on him?”

“I don’t know how to use magic.”

“It was my idea,” Horus added.

“No it wasn’t,” Thoth said crisply leaving no room for protest. Thoth seemed baffled but pleasantly so. The corner of his mouth tugged into a smile as he looked at Horus in disbelief. “I’d never thought I’d ever hear the word ‘sorry’ pass through your lips.”

“I’ve said it before,” Horus huffed. Even if he was angrily defending himself, the way he did made it sound like ‘sorry’ isn’t a word he uses often. 

“That was a real treat.” Thoth leaned back in his seat and regarded me. “So, Nakia, is there a reason you’re here and not with Anubis.”

“Yeah. The moon has disappeared from the sky and now Anubis isn’t healing so well.”

He pressed his fingers to his temples with an agitated sigh. “You two want me to go and gamble with Khonsu I take it.”

“Please?” I asked.

Thoth gave one last sigh before rising in a defeated manner. “Let's get this over with,” he said waving a hand to one of his bookcases. It clicked and started to swing open. All the books and papers that would otherwise be knocked down by the massive shelf fluttered up and reorganized themselves into other piles. He walked through and Horus and I followed behind.

Beyond the bookcase the office opened up to what I thought was another office, though vastly different. The walls were white and pristine with no mess in sight. We walked through a hallway which opened up into a large library. There were people reading at tables, using computers, or searching through the bookshelves. There was sunlight pouring through the windows outside and I noticed all the signs were in English.

“Where is this?” I asked.

“Las Vegas.”

Horus jumped in snidely asking, “How come everyone else has to use the rivers to get in and out of the  _ duat _ but you get a magic doorway straight to the surface?”

“Perhaps if you understood the magic behind it you could do the same yourself.”

“How can anyone understand how to do it if you don’t teach it to anyone?”

Thoth just smirked as we exited the building. I had spent so much time traveling with gods in magical floating boats, flying winged disks, and the back of giant cats that boarding an MTD with two gods felt laughably normal. And yet here I was showing them how to pay the coin acceptor and sitting between the pharaoh of Egypt and an old lady who wheezed every time we hit a bump. Thoth stood for the ride clearly keeping his distance from Horus. Either he was trying to keep the peace or the apology didn’t quell their disagreement too much.

We got off the bus when we reached the most congested part of Las Vegas. The street was lined with towering buildings all with elaborate and unique shapes. Dramatic signs lined the street ways competing for attention. There were many gardens filled with palm trees, grand water fountains, and even artificial waterfalls.

Many of the businesses here were hotels or resorts that doubled as casinos. Passing all the various establishments, each one more extravagant than the next, we got off at a bus stop in front of a hotel that didn’t look as fancy as some of the others. The building was large in size and was shaped like two books standing at a right angle to each other. We walked under a giant arching sign as we made our way into the entrance.

We entered the lobby. There was a mix of people from tourists to more lavishly dressed patrons. The noise from the casino spilled through the doors to the casino as well as the smell of greasy food.

Thoth went to the front desk where a receptionist welcomed him.

“Are you here for the hotel or the casino,” she asked.

“I actually need to speak with Khonsu. If you could call him here I would appreciate it.”

“Of course. Just one moment, sir.” The woman turned away and picked up a phone at another desk.

As we waited, I admired the interior. The space was very wide and spread out for a lobby but was necessary for the amount of people that filed this way and that. Everything seemed to glow golden in the light. All around the floors and counters were made of marble with dark polished wood lining the desks and siding. There was a centerpiece in one area that featured a lion sculpture in a bed of yellow flowers. I wondered if the statue was made of real gold or if it was just for show.

“I wasn’t expecting you, Thoth. And the young king is here as well.” A large group approached us from the casino. All of them were body guards except for the young boy they were guarding who led the group. I had met Khonsu once before when he came to deliver Se-Osiris’ curse to Anubis. His demeanor then had seem cold and distant. This time he seemed to be in a more joyful mood and full of confidence. Instead of white robes he was dressed in a white suit. The cuffs and lining were done in silver thread with subtle pattern of card suits and numbers.  Otherwise, he still had the white hair, silver eyes, and clouds of moisture that poured off him to the floor.

Thoth looked at him skeptically. “You disappear from the sky and you didn’t expect anyone to come?”

“I wasn’t sure who would come first. I had my guesses but of all the gods I’m surprised you came. And with Horus the Child. Are you two getting along now?”

“How can you call me a child when you’re barely four feet?” Horus said in disgust.

“I don’t act the part,” Khonsu said with a laugh. Horus glared at him. He really wasn’t getting it easy today with the whole ‘child’ thing.

“Let’s make this quick,” Thoth interjected. “We need the moon back in the sky, so I’ll play your little games for it.”

Khonsu shrugged. “Sorry, can’t do that.”

“Why not?!” Horus spat.

“I lost a bet and now I have to fulfill my part of the deal and keep the moon out of the sky for one whole cycle.”

“No moon for a month?!”

“A lot of gods rely on the moon’s light,” Thoth reasoned. “It was irresponsible to put something that valuable as a wager.”

“I didn’t think I’d lose,” Khonsu said with a scowl but quickly recovered his grin. “But there’s nothing that can be done now. Unless there is something else you want from me I think we’re done here.”

Thoth sighed under his breath, “ Why do I have to deal with all these children? Fine. I’ll gamble you for a vial of moonlight. Or did you lose the moonlight to someone else too?”

Khonsu snapped a finger and at once one of his entourage leaned down to his level. “Prepare my private lounge for our guests.”

“Yes, my lord.” The guard briskly walked away with a hand to his ear giving instructions.

Khonsu’s eyes glowed with excitement as he cheerfully said, “I accept the wager. And what will you give me if I win?”

“My life,” Thoth said in a dull tone.

I was shocked and cautiously said, “Um, Thoth, isn’t that a bit extreme?”

“Just let him show off, Nakia,” Horus said seeming already fed up with the whole ordeal.

There was a bounce in Khonsu’s step as he leaped to Thoth to shake his hand. “It’s a deal then. I hope you’re prepared, Thoth. The game’s about to begin.”

 

**Chapter 19.5 - Heartless**   
  


The first thing I remember was looking at the carpet.  It was a deep blue and had a pattern of thin gold lines, green and red flower buds outlined in white.  I don’t know how much time I spent tracing with my eyes all the different shapes.  Yet my eyes would always end up resting on the wet, black stain that interrupted the pattern.

“He’s going to ruin my carpet.”

“Who cares about your fucking carpet?! Get a new one!”

“Son…”

There were voices talking.  I may have known them.  I didn’t think on it.  I was still tracing the patterns, finding new colors delicately blended in.

“Anpu.”  A name.  My name.  The one only a few still used.  But the sound passed like a breath of air.  There was a green flower bud the black liquid had swallowed.

“Anpu, look at me.”

I looked.  Silver eyes, greying hair, white robes.  It was a third-quarter moon.

“Do you recognize me?”

I nodded.  I did recognize him.

“Who am I?”

“Osiris…” I answered.

His lips pulled up.  He had some wrinkles around them.  “Good, good… Can you tell me who did this to you?”

“…”  I looked at him for a while, but I didn’t know what he meant by “this”.  There was a spot of red liquid on his sleeve.  I looked at the rest of the sleeve, but there was no red spot pattern.

There was a loud crash in the room.  Osiris turned away and I couldn’t see his sleeve anymore.  

“That is my anthology of subterranean species you are destroying!”

Loud footsteps trampled the carpet’s flower field.  The feet stopped on the black lake.  Two hands held firmly on both sides of my face and lifted my head up.  The face of the feet’s owner had two different colored eyes.   One gold and one silver.  I knew him too.  His eyebrows were scrunched up but didn’t make as many wrinkles on his face as Osiris.

“Anubis, was it Set? Did Set take your heart?”

At the mention of ‘heart’ I remembered the cold spot in my chest.  It was easy to focus on because it felt different from the rest of my body.  All the other parts of my body stayed warm but that place continued to stay cold.

“Anubis! Was it Set?”

I focused on the person in front of me again.  I remembered Set.  But I didn’t remember my heart being taken.

“I don’t know…” I said.

He lowered his hands to my shoulders a shook me a little.  “Come one, Anubis! You know! Who did this to you?”

I didn’t know anything.  He had a gold armband on his upper arm.  There were twenty-two small diamonds visible around the rims.

“He doesn’t remember anything, Horus,” a third voice said.  The room smelled like old paper.  “His attacker would be smart enough to make sure Anubis didn’t remember.”

Horus stood up and turned to the other people.  I followed him with my eyes, counting the diamonds in the now visible back of the armband.

“He doesn’t need to remember.  We all know who did this.”

“We can’t know for sure - “

“Dad, how can you even say that after what he did to you!”

“Osiris is right, Horus.  If a god stubs their toe, you would say it’s Set’s fault.  You are too quick to blame him for everything that happens.”

“Because most of the time it’s him!”

I had already figured out his armband had 64 diamonds on it.  Now I was listening to how their voices echoed through the chasm of bookcases.

“You need to calm down, son.”

“I can’t when he’s like this! I don’t understand how you two can just stand there and talk like Anubis isn’t sitting on the floor like a ragdoll!”

The echoes stopped.  I waited for new sounds to start but it was a while before they started talking again.

“I’m going to find Set and get Anubis’ heart back.”  There were footsteps that slowly faded away.  They weren’t loud enough to echo that much.

“He obsesses over Set.”

“His battles against Set keep order and chaos in balance.  It’s a part of who he is.”

“It’s still childish.”

There was a sound that wasn’t words. “That is also a part of who he is.  I suppose he gets that from me.”

“What is there to do now?”

“Imhotep should be here soon.  Isis has gone to tell Nephthys what has happened.  I expect she’ll be here soon as well.”  There was a break in the echoes before the same voice echoed, “There is still the dead to worry about.  We will need someone to fill in for Anubis.  There were several gods that assisted Anubis in the past.  One of them should be able to perform his duties.”

“I’ll get on that.  Is there anything else?”

“No… no that is enough for now.”

“Alright.  Then if you will excuse me.”

“Thank you, Thoth.”

Another pair of footstep sounded across the room. They made a clipping sound that echoed better than the other’s feet.  The other person in the room walked to me and knelt down.  He took my hand and ran his thumb across it again and again.  I watched the wrinkles and veins in his hand flex and move as he did this.

“Oh, Anpu,” Osiris said, “I hope you don’t suffer the same fate as I.”

* * *

I was waiting for it.  There was a city in the distance.  It was full of mortals.  Soon, most of them would be dead.  Until that happened, I had to wait.  I thought of other things.

It has been 47 years, 3 months, 17 days, 9 hours, and 10 minutes.  That was when I first saw the date and time in Imhotep’s office after losing my heart.  Back then, Imhotep had been explaining to the other gods in the room how my body was staying alive despite the absence of my heart.  I was counting how many times the colon flashed on and off.  His explanation took 194 flashes.

In the beginning, there had been many years I didn’t leave the  _ duat _ .  I didn’t do much then.  Other gods would come and talk to me or I would be by myself.  When Horus came, he would always ask if I remembered who took my heart.  He still asks me that when he sees me.

There was a day when Osiris started sending me out to collect the souls of the dead.  At first, it was only for a short amount of time.  Then it grew longer.  Within a year I was always out collecting the dead.  It was rare for me to have to return to the  _ duat _ .

Every day, every hour, every minute was the same.  I go somewhere in the world, mortals die, I collect their souls.  Repeat.  Sometimes a god or goddess would pull me out of the cycle.  They would clean me; give me clothes, food, a bed to rest in.  They usually told me take a break from the cycle to take care of myself.  Then they would let me go.  I would restart the cycle, and it wouldn’t stop until another god interrupted it.

47 years, 3 months, 17 days, 9 hours, and 11 minutes later I’m standing on the roadside.  A man driving an ice truck passes me.  I won’t be collecting his soul today.

I was alone, but now there is another in the field with me.  A goddess here to break the cycle.  She was shorter than me.  Short black hair that unnaturally shined in a green hue.  Dripping wet yellow eyes.

“Anubis.”  She said my name in that small voice of hers. Kebechet’s eyes dripped more.  “Anubis, I’m sorry. I’m so…”

She wrapped her arms around my torso.  She was having difficulties breathing which made her voice hitch.  A wet spot was forming on my shirt I could feel on my chest.  It wasn’t long before she pulled away from me.

“You smell terrible,” Kebechet said.  “When was the last time you’ve been in a shower?”

I thought back and remembered a room lined with shower heads.  “3 hours ago. The shower was full of dead bodies.”

Kebechet’s face changed when she looked at me.  Her eyes looked like the eyes I see in a mirror.  “I’ve been in those.  They’re terrible.”  

“People leave flowers for the dead,” I added.

“Huh? Yes, they certainly do…” Her eyebrows scrunched up and then she looked away to the city in the distance.  “I’ll take care of the dead here.”

“There will be 521 souls to collect,” I told her.  Kebechet isn’t as fast as me.  Usually jobs that get over 100 I will help her with.  Small scattered deaths are best for her.  She didn’t take her eyes off the town.

“You need to go to the  _ duat _ right now.  Horus the Child is there.  He found out something important that you need to hear.”

I nodded.  There was a sound of propellers.  She would be working soon.  I was going to leave but Kebechet stopped me.

“Anubis, I…” she stopped and looked away.  The hum of engines grew louder. She made a breathy sound. “If only I didn’t have a heart.”

Explosions thundered and the distant town was doused in fire.

* * *

I could hear all the voices in the throne room as I climbed up the stairs.  The first thing visible was the large onyx scale that centered the room.  It overshadowed all yet overpowered none.

Then I saw the gods gathered.  Osiris was in the center, white haired but still standing taller than the rest.  Both of the Horuses were there.  Horus the Elder was speaking with Osiris.  Horus the Child was sitting on the scale’s pedestal with his head resting on his knees.  Thoth and Isis were speaking to each other in whispers close by.  Only Osiris and Big Horus’ words were audible.

“She’s covering for him.  That’s all this is,” Horus said.

“Why would Set let her?  It wouldn’t be like him to let someone else take the credit for what he did?”

“He probably has something else up his sleeve.  Something that requires her to lie in order for him - “

“What reason would she have to follow along?  It’s not something she would lie about.”

Thoth noticed my arrival.  He tapped Osiris’ shoulder and they stopped talking.  I didn’t stop for them.  I only saw them from the corner of my eye as I passed.  I stood where Little Horus was.  I said, “Kebechet told me you had something important to tell me.”

He looked up after I spook.  His eyes were wide and his eyebrows were scrunched up in a weird way.  His hair was messy, and he had scorch marks across his arms and neck.

He looked at me, then at the others.  He said to them, “I shouldn’t be the one to tell him.”

Thoth replied, “Should we find Nephthys so she can tell him?”

Little Horus flinched and looked at the ground.

“Should I find my mother?” I asked.

“No! No, don’t…”  Horus was hunched over again running his hands through his hair.  After a moment he said, “Sit down, Anubis.”  I did as he told me.

Thoth waved at the other gods to leave.  Horus the Elder was quick to walk away.  It was Osiris who lingered for a second, but finally left when Isis took him by the arm.  Even gods standing near the halls watching from a distance scattered.  It was just Little Horus, me, and the empty thrones.

“I didn’t believe him when he told me,” Horus said while his head still rested on his knees.  “I was fighting him, trying to get your heart back.  I didn’t do so hot this time.” He shrugged his arms making his burns shine with the movement.  “Over and over I kept demanding him to tell me where your heart was.  Finally he told me that he wasn’t the one I should be asking.

“I asked him what he meant.  He said, ‘My precious wife had his heart all along.’  He told me that he saw it; your heart divided into 12 pieces and within 12 jars.  ‘She had it all along,’ he… taunted me.

“So…” Horus continued.  “I went to find Nephthys.  I don’t know if I expected her to really have your heart.  I thought maybe she would know something that would help me.  When I found her, she… she showed me your heart.  It was small and severed, but still alive.  And she wouldn’t give it to me.  She said you had to be the one seeking them.  There are eleven canopic jars, and you have to look for them all before she’ll give you the heart piece she possesses.”

He looked at me now.  His eyebrows were still scrunched up but in a different way than earlier.  “It was her, Anubis.  Your mother was the one that took your heart.”

**  
**


	20. A Hard Drive of a Bargain

**Chapter 20: A Hard Drive of a Bargain**

We were taken into a small lounge that was on one of the highest floors. One of the walls was only windows that looked out to the city of lights below. There were an assortment of tables all around clearly meant for playing different games on. We were walked through the room filled with golden light to a smaller table with only four chairs.

The name of the game was Senet. One of Khonsu’s assistants pulled out a long box with three rows of squares along the top. It was like a narrow board of chess except for the hieroglyphs on some of the spaces. Khonsu had an eager smile while they set the game up, but the moment they started his face went blank. His face didn’t betray any emotion or thoughts much like the night I first met him. Thoth on the other hand merely looked bored. I couldn’t decide who had the better poker face.

Horus tried to explain the rules as they played so I could follow along but I couldn’t really get a grasp of it. I was never good at chess and this game had the same level of strategy. What was different was that instead of having pieces with a set way to move, there were four sided sticks they would throw to determine their moves each turn. There were so many different factors to account for I couldn’t keep track of them. The only thing I really grasped was that the goal was to get all five pieces to “the afterlife” at the end of the board.

I listened to Horus’ reactions to get an idea of who was winning. It seemed like Khonsu had a good start but Thoth pulled off some moves that put him ahead. Khonsu got a good roll this round though. Thoth took his time analyzing the board before rolling his sticks.

Khonsu let his mask slip and looked over at Horus and me with calm pleasure. “You know, you two should consider playing a game with me after I’m done with Thoth. I’m sure we can work out a nice wager to make things exciting.”

Horus scoffed, “Yeah right. You just want to hook us in and then extort us for all we have. We’re not playing your game.”

Khonsu leaned in his chair that was taller than the rest of ours. “What if I told you I know where Set is right now?”

“What?” Horus glared at Khonsu.

“I can’t reveal anything else. If you want to learn more you’ll have to beat me in a game.”

“He’s baiting you,” Thoth drawled as he moved his pieces.

Horus looked enraged like he was ready to beat the information out of Khonsu. I was worried he really would challenge Khonsu even knowing it would likely be impossible to beat him. Khonsu looked pleased at Horus’ reaction and instead moved his eyes to me.

“I can help you as well, human. There is a jar of Anubis’ I know the location to.”

“I’m sure I’ll be able to find it myself, thanks.”

“Will you?” He smirked. “I have to say, I would be very impressed if you could.” He didn’t say more and turned back to the game.

I could understand how Khonsu was able to tantalize people into gambling with him. I wondered if maybe he didn’t know about my ability to see the jars. But if he did, why would it be impressive if I found one? Was it in a spot that would be difficult to reach? Would my ability not be enough for us to find it? It made his offer more enticing than it should. But I can barely win a game of goldfish so there was no chance of me winning against him.

The game continued. Thoth was able to pull out from behind and had Khonsu trailing after him the rest of the game. Horus was cheering wildly as Thoth’s final piece reached the end of the board. Khonsu’s poker face dissolved with a look of disappointment. “I was sure I had you this time.”

“Khonsu, luck will only get you so far.” Thoth stretched out a hand across the table. “The vial?”

Khonsu snapped a finger and one of his attendants came forward. The woman in a sleek black suit opened a satin box in both her hands. Inside was the bright glow of silver light in a slender glass jar sitting in a bed of red silk. She closed the box and gave it Thoth who then handed it to me.

“There you go. Give that to Anubis. Looks like we’re done here.” Thoth stood to leave and I followed his lead. I was pushing in my chair when Horus said, “Wait.” Horus stared down at Khonsu. “What would you want me to wager if I played against you?”

“You can’t be serious,” Thoth said.

“I hear that you’ve been giving yourself up for servitude to other gods.” Khonsu glanced over at Thoth as he said this. “So that is what I would like if I win. One year working in my kitchens. Effective immediately.”

“Don’t do this Horus,” I groaned. “We’ll find Set ourselves. Don’t gamble away a year of your life.”

Khonsu snorted, “What’s a year to a god, Horus? I’m barely asking for anything for what I can give to you.”

Horus’ eyes were furrowed but he gave a slight nod seeming to decide on something. He turned to me and said, “I need to do this Nakia. I will only find Set when he wants to be found and he’ll have some trap ready like he always does. I need to be one step ahead of him. I won’t forgive myself if I pass this up and he does something to hurt my family again.”

He turned his backs to us and sat in the seat Thoth had been sitting in moments ago. Thoth flew a hand in the air, “Well, I suppose Horus is going to be here a while. Come, Nakia. We can return to the duat and I can get you transportation to the hospital.”

I looked back at Horus and Khonsu setting up for a new game. From the hungry look in Khonsu’s eyes I knew Horus wasn’t going to win. I went to Thoth and said quietly, “I don’t think Anubis would want me to leave him alone. I’ll stay here and watch after him.”

“That wouldn’t be wise. Horus doesn’t stand much of a chance at winning and you’ll be stranded here with him. You still have to take that vial to Anubis.”

“I’ll figure something out. I don’t plan to stay here long. Could you take the vial to him? Please?”

Thoth looked uncertain but he nodded. I gave him the box and he left with one of the attendance guiding him out. I turned back and went back to my seat.

I didn’t need to know the rules to see that Khonsu wiped the floor with Horus. Horus seemed to slump more and more as the game went on. Now he had his head in his hands as Khonsu sat back obviously delighted with himself.

“This was a stupid idea,” Horus mumbled in his hands.

“How could you not know this from the start,” I replied with some exasperation. I should be more upset with him but I felt like once Set is dangled as a prize in front of Horus there is no way to stop him.Those two will fight each other for an eternity. I couldn’t blame Horus knowing how terrible his enemy is.

“Well, Horus,” Khonsu said as his assistant handed him a folder, “it looks like you are now under my employment for the next 365 days. Just sign this contract and I’ll get you started.”

Horus glared at the paper Khonsu pushed toward him but he had no choice. He took the pen and wrote on the bottom line, the scratches of the pen hissing its dismay. Khonsu took the papers and glanced in my direction. “Are you sure you don’t want to try a round? It doesn’t have to be Senet. There are many games here to play.”

“I’m good.”

“That’s a shame. If you’ll come with me then, Horus the Child.”

“Like you’re in any place to call me a child,” he grumbled but sauntered out. As they left the female attendant from before broke from the group to me. She was a plump woman with beautiful red hair that was pulled back into a golden clip. She gave a slight bow and said, “My name is Jessica Gleason and I’ll be able to assist you during your stay.”

“Oh, I’m not staying long. I just… well, I’m not sure what I’m going to do yet, but it won’t take long.”

“Until you make a decision, the owner has provided you with a suite, a VIP pass to our bar and restaurants, and a complimentary bag of tokens for your enjoyment.”

“Oh, uh, thanks.” I took the bag from her which gave the muffled sound of shuffling coins as I did so. She waved me out the door and escorted me to the elevator.

* * *

I was stumped on what to do. I sat at a small table in a cafe on the first floor. The hotel had several restaurants so I took the chance to have some pizza while I thought. I slurped the last of the smoothie I got as dessert but I still had no ideas. Horus had really gotten himself stuck this time. All my ideas seemed to fail as soon as I came up with them. Trying to sneak Horus out or somehow tricking Khonsu to letting him go seemed as unlikely as winning a match against him. Yet gambling against Khonsu seemed like the only way to free Horus. Theoretically. If it weren’t for Khonsu being a master of gambling only Thoth can beat it would be worth a shot. How in the world did the person who gambled for the moon manage to win?

I was getting nowhere sitting around. It decided to walk around. I could find a bathroom and then look around the casino. I wasn’t really interested in gambling but perhaps seeing what was here would give me some ideas.

As I walked around I ended up in a crimson hall lit with red lights and black marble tiles reflecting the light from the floor. I was a bit confused. I was sure I had followed the sign for the bathrooms but there was no one here. There were also plaques on the doors labeled as storage rooms and offices. I was definitely in the wrong place. I was about take the exit at the end of the hall when a door to my right caught my eye.

_ ‘When you’re in a red hallway and you see a room marked “Machine Maintenance”, you’ll want to go in there.’ _

I stood in front of the door Amun had told me about. It felt surreal to me having him predict this very moment. I didn’t want to go in. I felt like I was being lured into a trap again. My sense of control was slipping. Set, Khonsu, Amun… they all were pulling strings to get what they want. And we kept playing into their hands because what we want seemed so much more important.

I don’t want to go in, but I don’t have much of a choice. I had no idea how to get Horus from Khonsu’s grasp. But I did know it’s important that he’s out there searching for Set. I guess I will be jumping into a river in some near future as Amun had requested. Horus better thank me for this.

I entered the maintenance room and switched on the light. It wasn’t as clean and pristine as the rest of the casino was. The walls were grey. The tables were grey. The metal shelves were stacked with various black boxes labeled with different parts, mostly electrical. The only color in the room were the various slot machines inside in various states of disrepair.

I went to the side of the room where it looked like a slot machine was currently being worked on. The side of the machine was open revealing the circuits inside. It didn’t look as broken down as the other machines in the room. It stood next to a table that had a laptop open around some scattered parts. Next to the computer was a cardboard box filled with metal parts all of the same size. I sat at the table and started investigating.

Looking through the box I realized it was filled with internal hard drives. Connected to the laptop was a hard drive mount with a hard drive already inside. The laptop was in sleep mode and luckily wasn’t password protected. Whoever had been on here last had left a scriptwriter on and it looked like the drive it was working on was the one connected through the USB.

I skimmed through the code but I couldn’t lift much from it. It’s hard to tell what a code is doing just from reading it. Usually programmers would leave notes in the code of what a set of code was doing but it looks like whoever programmed this was a bit lazy. I leaned back in my chair. Amun said I’d find something interesting with the hard drives but I couldn’t really tell what they were doing. If there was some sort of error with the machine then they would have to run diagnostic programs to see where the problem was. So why are they directly opening the program’s coding on the hard drive?

I ignored the computer and looked around the desk for some clues. There were some post it notes on the laptop and on some of the office supplies but most of them had deadlines and reminders on them. I looked in the box with the hard drives and noticed a small notebook that had been tossed inside.

On the first page were notes on code, mostly written with abbreviations and shorthand references. I couldn’t get much from the first page but flipping to the second page I started to understand what the notes were for. There were mathematical variables on chances, but each variable was accompanied with certain outcomes. The chances of getting two of a kind, three cherries in a row, three jackpots in a row, a winnings multiplier, and so on were written above each equation. But beside these equations were arrows pointing to variables that resulted in numbers far lower than the numbers preceding it.

Now the first page made sense and I knew exactly what they were doing. They were changing the odds, making the chance of winning much lower than they were originally programmed to do. The only variables that weren’t being changed were the small reward winnings, probably so people wouldn’t feel discouraged while playing. But the last variable, the jackpot, was changed to such a miniscule possibility of winning that anyone who got a jackpot must be blessed with luck from a god.

The front page was actually invaluable. It listed all the function names for these variables so that they could easily be found in the code. That’s probably why they have all these hard drives. They were taking out the slot machines hard drives, modifying the software to lower the odds, and reinstalling them to put out on the floor. It was a sleazy move but hardly illegal. Or maybe it was. I’m not familiar with laws around gambling.

But this was all I needed. I knew exactly how to beat Khonsu at his own game. I went back to the laptop and started working.

* * *

I had to go to my hotel room and page the assistant from earlier to find Khonsu. The suite that the hotel key opened was ridiculously huge. Not only did it have a large bedroom with a king size bed, but there was also a large living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom with its own hot tub. This room seemed to be more like a place to live than a place to sleep during a vacation.

I didn’t stay long. I used the phone to get into contact with Ms. Gleason. Luckily she left me her number among all the other things she gave me. She told me she would find out where he was for me. After rummaging through the kitchen for a drink and flipping through some TV channels the phone rang. “Madam, I am waiting outside your door. Whenever you are ready I can escort you to Mr. Khonsu.”

“Oh, thank you. I’ll be right there.”

I almost left my hotel key and other belongings in my rush to leave. I remembered to grab them and flew out the door. Ms. Gleason seemed surprised at my rush but she kept her composure. “This way,” she said as she led me to the elevator.

It was a bit awkward with the two of us inside the small space so I started a small conversation with her. “So how long have you worked here?”

She raised her eyebrows but then smiled. “I’ve been here for a year. I’m actually waiting to receive a new name tag for my first year here.” She gestured to the black name tag that had her name engraved with gold lettering. I vaguely remembered seeing other workers with tags that said the number of years they had served at the casino below their name.

“That’s cool. Do you like working here?”

“I do. I’ve noticed from my past jobs that if you work in a place where the people are enjoying themselves, you’ll enjoy your work more. I never want to go back to retail for sure. But it took some getting used to. I don’t come from a wealthy background so getting used to serving the upper class took some discipline.”

“I know what you mean. I grew up in the middle class but lately I’ve been living with someone who is crazy rich. I know I should feel lucky but…”

“It feels alien right?” she completed my sentence.

“Yeah, I can’t get used to it. I try, but it always feels excessive. And then everyone acts like it’s normal so I end up feeling like the odd one out.”

“That’s my job in a nutshell, hun. If anything, it’s helped to-” She stopped short as the doors opened to let in a group of old woman that were chatting amongst each other. The smile slid off her face and she said courtly, “Hello ladies, what floor will you be getting off on?”

“The first floor,” one of them said and they continued gossiping as though we weren’t there. The ride continued like this until we all got off on the first floor. The three woman got off not sparing a glance at us.

“This way.” She led me through the lobby but then took a side hallway in the back that was marked employees only. She led me to a door labeled as the kitchen to the pizza place I had eaten at earlier. She gave me a smile as she said, “Mr. Khonsu is in here. It was really lovely talking to you. Feel free to page me if you need anything else, hun.”

“It was nice talking to you too.” I smiled back as she opened the door for me. I got the impression people don’t bother to talk to her much.

Inside were many people working over chopping boards and pizza ovens. They were dressed in black aprons and rushed about with the sounds of chopping, sizzling and the occasional bell ring when an order was placed in the window. I thought maybe I was in the wrong place when I heard a child’s laughter in a side room.

When I entered I saw Horus and Khonsu were the only ones inside. There were stacks of dirty dishes beside a large sink filled with soapy water. Khonsu was laughing at Horus’ obvious anguish.

“You need to go faster than that. If you get behind on the dishes you’ll back up the rest of the kitchen.”

“I’m going as fast as I can,” Horus growled through clenched teeth.

“Aw, look at this. This plate still has a spot on it. You’ll have to wash it again.” Khonsu slipped the plate back into the soapy water.

“How am I supposed to finish these quickly if you keep making me wash the same ones again?!”

“It’s your own fault. If you would just clean them right the first time you wouldn’t be falling behind.”

Horus looked like he was about to explode when I called out, “Khonsu!”

Khonsu looked to the door and grinned. “Hello human. Come to watch the show?”

“I have a name. It’s Nakia. And I didn’t come to torture Horus. Actually I want to wage a bet.”

The plate in Horus’ hand fell into the sink with a splash. “No! Don’t bother, Nakia. Just go back to Anubis and make sure his wounds heal!”

“Don’t worry.” I turned back to Khonsu. “I want to gamble for Horus’ contract. If I win he doesn’t have to work here.”

“Oh really?” Khonsu looked me up and down. “Is Horus the Child really more important to you than Anubis?”

“Yeah, Nakia! Don’t worry about me! Just get out of here!”

“I don’t need to know where a jar is when I can find it on my own. And I need Horus.” I looked over to him. “We can’t have you stuck here when Set is targeting Anubis. We have enough on our hands looking for his heart pieces.”

Horus cast down his eyes in guilt. Khonsu on the other hand seemed to be filled with excitement. “I accept your wager. Now, in return, hmmm…” He thought for a moment and then said, “If I win, I want your  _ ren _ .”

“No way!” Horus yelled in outrage. “Don’t you dare ask for that! That is way too high of a bargain for that stupid contract!”

“A human’s name is hardly that valuable, or are you saying this human is more valuable than you?”

“She’s more than a human! She’s the Eye of Anubis!”

“Even so, she’ll die in a few decades and Anubis won’t have an Eye anymore. She’s not a very useful Eye.”

“Horus, it’s fine,” I said.

“But-”

“Really. I accept your wager, Khonsu.”

Khonsu clapped his hands together. “Splendid! And what game will we be playing?”

“Slots.”

Khonsu giggled. “You are going to play against me with a purely luck based game?”

“I’m not good at strategy games. It’s best I stick to something easy.”

Horus groaned and sank to the floor still gripping the edge of the sink. I knew it seemed like I was basically giving my  _ ren _ away, but I had to keep my face even.

“Very well, but you have to at least get a jackpot. Anything less doesn’t count as a win.”

“That’s fine, but I get to choose the machine I play.”

“It’s a deal then. Come.” Khonsu trotted out the door and I followed, leaving a defeated Horus with his mountain of dishes.

* * *

“Just pick one!” Khonsu whined.

“I will. Just give me a minute.”

I looked around in deep concentration at all the machines. There were many different kinds and many of them were vacant. It seemed that games like blackjack and the roulette wheel were much more popular. The slot machines were also very different than what I was used to seeing in movies. Many of them have digital interfaces, and most had around five or even seven columns rather than the traditional three. What stayed the same for most of them were the symbols like cherries, bells and sevens.

“There! That’s the one!” I pointed to a machine at the end of a long line of slots. It had many flashing lights and towered over both of us.

“Good choice,” Khonsu said but he didn’t seem to mean it. He probably only cared I was done wandering around. “You get one chance. Good luck.”

I took a coin from the bag Ms. Gleason had given me and slipped it in. The machine started to light up even brighter and played an annoying 8-bit song. I held my hand on the bar on the side and waited, watching the five columns spin. Though there really wasn’t anything spinning. It was a digital screen and the moment I pulled the lever didn’t matter. My winnings had been decided the moment I entered my coin. I gave it another second and pulled down the lever.

The spinning slowed and slowed until one by one they came to a stop. As soon as the last column stood still the machine played a song and the lights flashed frantically. “No!” Khonsu cried.

Not only did I get three sevens in a row, but I got two “4x” multipliers beside it, the highest multiplier in the game. A message appeared above the numbers saying “Jackpot! Handpay at counter”.

“Oh wow! I won!” I said trying to sound surprised.

“That’s not possible! What did you do?”

“What? Are you saying it’s impossible to get a jackpot at your casino? Aren’t you the owner?”

This got the attention of people passing by. Some even stopped, either to eavesdrop or to point at the jackpot I got on the machine.

“I mean it’s very unlikely,” he said through clenched teeth. “You must be very lucky.”

“Well, someone once called me a lucky flower. I guess he was right. So about Horus’ contract…”

Khonsu reluctantly pulled a folded up paper from his inner coat and handed it over. I ripped it in half and let it fall to the floor. I should feel very satisfied but I was nervous.

Luck had nothing to do with my winning of course. I cheated, and I didn’t want Khonsu to know. Anyone who played on this machine would get a jackpot with the highest possible winnings. That’s because every other possible winning was set to zero while the jackpot was set to one, a 100% chance possibility. The hardest part was getting the hard drive into one of the machines on the floor. But once I put on a grey jumpsuit I found in the maintenance room no one questioned me opening the machine and messing with its insides.

But I needed to leave. This place had security cameras and he only needed to check the tapes to know what I’d done.

“So, I guess we’re done here. You can let Horus out and we can go.”

“Very well,” Khonsu said with a pout. He looked like a kid that was told no dessert until he finished his vegetables. “I will have an attendant get him while you collect your winnings.”

“My winnings?” I had forgotten about the actual function of slot machines and looked at the jackpot amount on the top of the machine. My eyes widened. I could feel my heart drop to my gut. “That… that’s wrong right? That can’t be how much I won…”

“Oh no, that’s your winnings. The machine’s jackpot was set at a little over a million, and then it was multiplied by eight.”

“I just… I just won ten million dollars…”

“Don’t get too excited. The government will tax you for most of it. You’ll be lucky if you can keep half of it.”

“Oh my god… gods… whatever… Ooooh this isn’t real...”

Khonsu didn’t seem interested in my breakdown and started barking orders into a cell phone. I was shaking, my mind running in circles in no coherent direction. I won ten million dollars. No, I  _ extorted _ ten million dollars from a casino. A casino owned by a god. If Khonsu finds out I’m so screwed. If there is a hell in the  _ duat _ that is where Khonsu is going to throw me when I die. I reeaaally need to get out of here.

Khonsu finished his phone call and waved me to follow him. I mechanically followed him to the service counter. It turned into an uproar of applause and congratulations. They brought out this giant check made out for ten million dollars and the casino logo on top.

The woman making out the check asked me, “Can I have your name please?”

I blanched when I realized of course they would need me name. I looked down and saw Khonsu smirking up at me. I couldn’t give my real name because I was a runaway, not to mention I’m supposed to be protecting my  _ ren _ . But if I gave a fake name it would be impossible to cash it in.

So I gave her the only name I could think of. I could see Khonsu’s expression sink in the corner of my eye.

* * *

“Is this the biggest room they have? It’s tiny. Oh well,” Horus said as he flopped on the king size bed.

“You would think it’s small,” I muttered. I couldn’t relax like Horus. I wanted to bolt out of the casino as soon as Horus was let out but there was one more thing to take care of. I still felt like any moment someone would burst through the door to arrest me, but Horus assured me we could get to China in a couple of seconds flat. He said something about it being morning in China which didn’t seem relevant. Gods tend to make statements that only made sense to them. I paced back and forth until I heard a knock on the door.

“Hello again,” said Ms. Gleason from outside the door. “You said you needed my assistance?”

“Yeah, could you come in? There are some things I need you to take care of.”

“Certainly.” She stepped inside and let the door click shut behind her. Horus sat up from the bed curiously glancing our way. I went to a side table and picked up the bag she gave me earlier.

“We’re gonna leave so I don’t need these anymore. Could you return them and check us out?”

“Of course, but I think it’s better that you check yourselves out. The checkout area is in the lobby. I can escort you there if you like?”

“You don’t need to. I’d rather not go back downstairs,” I said with a nervous smile.

“But the lobby is right next to the exit?”

“Also, I have something that is too big for me to travel with and I don’t really need it. I thought I’d go ahead and give it to you. Just wait here a sec. I’ll go get it.” I left her looking perplexed as I ran out the room. Horus took the chance to jump off the bed and greet her.

“Hello, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Thanks for taking care of my friend. She said you were very good to her,” I heard him say through the wall.

“Oh, it was no trouble. I was happy to be of assistance.”

“I’m sure you will be,” he replied. I saw she found this remark strange when I came back into the room.

“Here’s a tip for your work,” I said carrying the giant check to her. The thing was clumsy to handle and I ended up knocking a vase over with it. “Whoops.”

“Oh my god! Did you win that?” She exclaimed, a hand over her chest.

“Yeah, I got lucky on the slots. I want you to have it.”

She gaped and me and started shaking her hands at me. “No, no I couldn’t possibly. That’s your winnings. I’ve done nothing to earn it.”

“Neither did I,  well, sort of . It already has your name on it. But I really can’t keep it. I’m in a complicated situation so it’s either I give it to you or throw it in the trash. Besides, I already live with rich idiots like this guy, remember?”

“Who are you calling an idiot?” Horus asked.

“After what you did today?” Horus couldn’t counter my point and let it slide.

Ms. Gleason was starting to tear up but she still wouldn’t take it. “Why?” she asked with a slight sob.

“I know I’m a stranger and I’ve only just met you, but you really do seem very kind. I don’t get to talk to people like me very often, and I mean that in more ways than you’ll know. You really do deserve this. Just don’t spend it in one place. I hear the tax rate is crazy.”

“No, I won’t. I… I can’t believe this is happening.”

“Here. Take it.” She was reluctant, but I pushed it at her. I was starting to feel a bit emotional myself but we couldn’t drag this out for too long.

“This… oh my god. Thank you so much.” She wrapped her arms around me and gave me a tight hug. I hugged her too, but I pulled away sooner than was polite.

“Go ahead and take this. Please check us out of our room too. We’re in a big hurry. I hate to be rude but it’s really important that we get our stuff together and go.”

“No, don’t worry… Really, thank you. You have no idea how much this will help me and my son.”

“You’re welcome. If I get the chance I’ll get in touch with you another time,” I said patting her back and walking her to the door.

“It was nice meeting you Ms. Gleason,” Horus said from behind me. “And you should consider voting for me! I’m running for president in a few decades so if you’re still alive-”

“Horus!”

“I mean, if you get the chance, you should give me your support. My name is… ah!” He bent down and whispered in my ear, “Nakia, did you think of a presidential name for me?”

“Yeah…”

“What is it?”

I whispered him the name and he stood straight up again. “Royal Paine! Vote for Royal Paine for president! That’s a good name for my campaign, right?”

“Yep,” I said. “It’s very majestic. Suits you perfectly.”

I opened the door and ushered her out. As she left Horus waved goodbye to her as I made slashing motion over my neck mouthing, ‘Don’t vote for him.’ She looked baffled as the door clicked shut.

“Yeah! I already got one vote! You know, these election things are kind of fun.”

“Just be sure to finish the time you promised Thoth before you run. I doubt he’ll let you put it off too long.”

“Ah, don’t worry about it. I’ll get it done. Now let's go back to Anubis. He’s waited long enough.”

“Alright, but how are we getting there,” I asked as he pulled the curtains open.

“With sunlight. I am a sun god. You’ll have to hold on tight, alright?”

“Okay?” Horus pulled me into a tight hug, even tighter than the hug Ms. Gleason had given me. I held on as the light in the room intensified. I had to squeeze my eyes but the light still burned white behind my eyelids. My whole body turned scaldingly hot. I wanted to scream, but before I could get air into my lungs it was already over. The light was gone and Horus let go of me.

“Please don’t suddenly appear like that, Pharaoh. There are humans here.”

“Sorry Imhotep. Just thought it’d be fastest. Hey, you okay Nakia?”

Horus caught me as I staggered. My senses were overwhelmed. I had a hard time grasping my surroundings. I didn’t realize I was about to fall over until Horus steadied me.

“I… I need to lay down…”

“Oh, sure. Mind if I carry you?”

“No, go ahead.”  Horus picked me up. I held my head in my hands suppressing the need to throw up. Imhotep updated us on Anubis’ condition as they walked.

“It would have been better to bring back the moon, but the moonlight should be enough. His wounds have healed again and I’ve been able to reapply the spells I had earlier. He should be well enough to leave in a few days.”

“Good…” I could feel Horus’ shoulders slacken as he held me. I was relieved too, but I felt too ill to feel like celebrating.

We went into Anubis’ hospital room. He was sleeping in bed looking much more relaxed than when I had left him. Paws was resting at his feet as though he never left that spot. He lifted his head when we entered. He had his mouth open and tongue out looking happy to see us. All the curtains were drawn blocking all the light except for the glow around the edges. The main source of light was an oil lantern at Anubis’ beside. The moonlight twisted and turned like a snake shining brilliantly bright.

Horus set me down on the couch. I wasn’t so nauseous anymore but I still felt exhausted. Horus draped a blanket over me and I curled up into a ball, my back to everyone.

“You gonna be okay, Nakia?” Horus asked.

“Mm-hm.”

“You both left in the middle of the night here and it’s already midday. I’m sure-” I didn’t hear the rest of what Imhotep said as I fell asleep.

* * *

When I woke again the room was still lit by the moonlight but the room felt like it was darker. I sat up rubbing my eyes. Paws had moved to the end of the couch with me. He laid on his back in a position that didn’t look all that comfortable but he seemed to be sleeping just fine. Anubis’ bed was empty. Even the sheets were gone. I got up in a rush but then noticed someone was in the room by the large window.

It was night outside, but the city lights provided some luminance. Anubis was standing with his back to me looking out at the city. He had a slight glow around his silhouette from the light outside. Except for his hair, he looked pale enough to replace the moon. His hospital gown was white and went down to his knees. He had the white sheets from the bed draped over his arms. It almost made him look like he was dressed in robes. The light from the lamp danced across him giving the illusion the folds of his clothing were moving.

I approached him but I didn’t want to get too close. I was nervous. It felt like I was meeting a stranger for the first time.

“How are you feeling?” I asked.

I surprised him, but he didn’t jump in alarm like I had been used to since he got the last heart piece. His shoulders softly jumped and he spun around. It was so bizarre. I could see his eyes change from brown to silver as the moonlight fell on his face. I knew his eyes could do this, but it would never stop being strange to me.

“I am doing better. How is your shoulder?”

“Healing. It’ll be fine.”

He looked at the bandages peeking from under my shirt. His eyebrows creased. He glared, but turned again away from me to the window. It made him mad and I was on foreign land trying to get my barrings.

“Imhotep said that you should be okay to leave in a day or so. Since we back tracked to China we’ll have to go over places we’ve already searched.”

“Where did the moon go?”

“Oh, umm,” I stalled. “You should really ask Horus, I mean your brother Horus. It’s a long story.”

I saw him nod. I felt… scared. I didn’t know what could trigger his anger. Back in Tibet when Anubis was taunted into fighting Set, he looked more like a beast than a human. I didn’t want him to turn back into that.

I heard Anubis sigh. He gave a small kick at the floor, took a step forward and rested his head against the glass. “Do you think I’m selfish?”

I tilted my head. “For what?”

“I never got involved with Set, not directly. I never took a side. Everyone else seemed to be waging a war against him for so many years and I… I didn’t think it concerned me. So I stayed out of it. I didn’t help anyone.”

“I’m sure… I’m sure it’s what you thought was best back then. You couldn’t have known this would happen.”

He sharply turned, his eyes aflame in white fire. “But you don’t get it! I understand why they are so angry with him. I am angry at him as well now. But you know what angers me the most? That he dragged me into his war! I am involved now and I do not want to be! And that doesn’t feel right! It is not how I should feel…” He stared away from me. He looked so helpless as he stared into space. “I don’t know who I am anymore. I keep looking inside myself trying to find the answers and there is nothing there.”

He looked back at me and suddenly had a face of regret. What did I look like to him right now? Could he hear how loud my heart was pounding?

“I’m sorry. Forget what I said. Go back to sleep. I’ll go to bed soon.” He turned back to the window. I stepped away and went back to the corner of the room. Paws was sitting on the couch watching us. I gave him a hug before pulling the sheets over my head.


	21. Welcome to the Museum of Broken Furniture

**Chapter 21: Welcome to the Museum of Broken Furniture**

Anubis recovered quickly with the moonlight lamp. He stayed awake and alert for the rest of our stay. He had some more visitors but not as many as the day his life was in danger. There were also some gods coming to get injuries of their own healed. They would come to visit Anubis just for a chance to bask in the moonlight. The moons absent was really taking a toll on the gods that draw energy from it. I had already promised Imhotep he could keep the moonlight when we leave.

I didn’t stick around with Anubis while he recovered. He was reluctant to talk to me and it was awkward being around him. I took some time to look around the city but mostly I wandered around bored. Horus had left to check on how the search for Set was going. There weren’t many other gods I knew or felt comfortable with. All I had was Paws to keep me company, but even he seemed torn between spending time between the two of us. As soon as we came back to the hospital from a long walk he would run inside straight to Anubis’ room. I would wander around the hospital finding something to do while trying to stay out of the nurse’s way.

I was glad when Imhotep announced Anubis well enough to leave. It was a nice change of pace to board our boat again in order to get some clothes for Anubis to change into. Sometimes I would get cabin fever being here too long. But after being away for a while coming back felt like returning home.

As I walked to Anubis’ hospital room I ran into an unexpected guest. “Horus, what are you doing back?”

Little Horus turned to greet me. “Hey Nakia! Heard you guys are setting off.”

“Yeah, Imhotep is just getting together some things for us and then we’ll be on our way. How’s your search going?”

“Wadjet’s completely on it. She’s got some leads she’s chasing with Uncle Horus. And since they’ve got things covered I thought I’d tag along with you two for a while.”

“Really?” I said off guard. “Why’s that?”

“For extra assurance, in case Set tries to target you two again. Just think of me as a bodyguard. I’d also like to see if you guys are taking good care of my boat.”

“Don’t worry about that. We keep on top of our chores, though there might be dog toys scattered across the floo,” I added with a laugh. “Are you sure, though? It’s not that exciting most of the time. You might get bored.”

“After everything going on I could use a break.” Horus gave me a thump on the shoulder. “And y’know, I think it could be fun. All of us hanging out, seeing the sights. How ‘bout it?”

I smiled, suddenly feeling like there was something to look forward to. “Yeah, I think that would be really nice.”

* * *

“That’s not the plan we agreed on!”

“But it’s better to use this as a chance to cover more ground while we’re here!”

“That’ll just making everything more complicated! There are a whole group of islands we can’t go to without going east! It’s better to wait until we get the larger land masses so we can get the islands all at once!”

“It’s a waste to not use this opportunity! What’s the point of coming here if we don’t take advantage of it?!”

“I don’t know?! Saving your fucking life?!”

“Yes, and you nearly starved Paws and yourself doing that! What a good plan! You are not so great at those, are you?!”

“It’s not my fault you pissed off that god Dumatu or whatever the hell his name is!”

“I did nothing against Duamutef! He decided on his own to be a hinderance!”

“Great Ra above, could you two please stop yelling…”

“Shut up!” Anubis and I shouted at Horus in unison.

We hadn’t left the hospital parking lot yet and already Anubis’ anger was starting to cause problems. We couldn’t agree on which course to take. Anubis wanted to go south and go over Taiwan and some of the Indonesian islands. I wanted to follow the path I made from the beginning so I wouldn’t have to rework our route. I made this plan to be more efficient but Anubis didn’t get that.

I jabbed a finger at Anubis. “I already had a solid plan for us! You just want to do this cause there’s no work for you! Meanwhile I have to readjust all the plans I made!”

“It’ll still be worth it for all of us! If we can’t be adaptable then we’re just going to run into more problems in the future!”

Horus looked fed up, holding out his hands to both of us, “Alright, stop it you two! Just simmer down for a sec. We need to work out the pros and cons of your ideas and figure out which one works best.”

“I have already explained myself,” Anubis yelled.

I folded my arms. “Me too.”

Horus pinched the bridge of his nose. “No, you two are yelling at each other without listening. We aren’t ever going to reach an agreement if you two can’t act more objective.”

“Don’t tell me how to act!” Anubis slammed his fist into the table making a terrible cracking sound. He removed his hand revealing splintered wood and a crack running across where he punched his hand.

Horus pointed to the table and stated simply, “You’re buying a new table.”

“Fine! I’m done!” He stormed out of the bridge slamming the door behind him.

I groaned in frustration, dragging a chair nearby across the floor to throw myself in. “Augh! He’s just so… augh! Why is he so oblivious? It’s maddening!”

“You didn’t have much tact yourself…” Horus softly spoke as he assessed the damage to his table.

“I just explained what was best since I understand this better. It’s not my fault he went off the deep end.”

“No, you were baiting him. And don’t even start,” Horus raised his voice as I opened my mouth to protest. “Don’t bait me into a fight. I have spent too many years in diplomacy to fall for that. Take some deep breaths and think about what you want to say before speaking.”

I was simmering, but I crossed my arms and kept quiet. Horus continued staring at the map on the table focusing on the areas Anubis wanted to travel. After some silence he asked, “Why did you put off doing the islands later? Couldn’t you just zig zag the entire globe and be done?”

With a huff I explained, “70% of the Earth is water. There isn’t much of a point spending months traveling over the ocean when there will be nothing to find. It’s more efficient to hop from island to island, but I needed time to research where all those islands are. The smallest islands are unmarked on maps.”

“So you were trying to cut out as much dead space without missing anything?”

“Yeah…” I shrugged. “And I admit it’s not perfect. I’m sure someone could make a better route that didn’t require going around the planet twice. I just wanted to be sure we wouldn’t miss anything or waste our time.”

“Okay, so why would Anubis’ plan be a problem?” Horus asked looking back up to me.

“I would have to rework our route for the second trip. And I’m not completely confident I’ve mapped all the islands in that area. That region has a lot of tiny island clusters. If a jar is on one of them we might overlook it.”

Horus smiled. “See? That was a lot more reasonable than shouting. I think as long as you and Paws are the ones deciding on the navigation, it should be up to you what route to take. If Anubis wants to decide he should take the task on himself.”

“Yeah, well, good luck convincing him. We’ll probably be sitting in this parking lot for another day or so at this rate.”

Horus laughed, “No, I don’t think it’ll be much of an issue. Anubis will come back soon and we can decide on something.”

“Can’t wait,” I scoffed. I rested my forehead on the edge of the table and reached a hand to pet Paws. At least he had it easy. I wish I could hide under a table and wait for all of this to be over.

Horus was right about Anubis not taking long. Only a few minutes passed before Anubis cracked the door open.

“Paws,” he called out. Paws perked his ears from under the table. “Take us west to Mt. Everest. I want to get moving.” The door clicked shut again. My mouth hung open a bit shocked, but Horus seemed pleased, if not a tad bit smug.

“Told ya,” he said.

“But why would he side with me? He was mad at me five minutes ago.”

“Because he wasn’t mad at you or your idea, unlike you who just wanted to win an argument. He was angry at the situation you guys got into. He wanted to turn it into something positive but changed his mind after cooling down.”

“...You make it sound like the fight was my fault.”

“No, it was both your faults.”

“Gee, thanks,” I said with sarcasm. The ship gave a light shake as Paws got us up in the air. I felt like all my energy had been zapped out of me, and Horus didn’t help me feel any better. I was still a bit angry, but I mostly felt ashamed. I probably was thinking more about myself than Anubis. I just hated feeling like I was being pushed around so I started to defend myself. Looking back I felt embarrassed with how quickly I rose to the attack.

I buried my head into my knees with a groan. “Do you think Anubis is going to attack me for being stupid like everyone else has said?”

“I don’t think so. It takes a lot to really make him mad. Trust me, I know. I’ve been testing his limits for as long as I can remember. It was a bit unusual, though,” Horus said with a sigh. “He normally doesn’t get into fights so easily.”

“He’s always really sensitive when he gets a new emotion. I don’t think I can handle him getting mad at every little thing…”

“Don’t you worry!” Horus beamed, standing tall pointing to himself in pride. “Nothing bad will happen while I’m here.”

I tried to smile back but it felt unconvincing. “That’s what you’re here for. Right, Mr. Bodyguard.”

“It’s Set that I’m protecting you from…”

“You don’t have to pretend,” I said getting up from my seat. “I knew when you said you were coming with us that you were worried. It’s probably best that you're here. I’m not a people person like you.” I stretched my arms as I headed out of the room. “I’m going to my room. I need some time alone.”

“Okay,” Horus said before I closed the door behind me.

* * *

There wasn’t as much fighting as I had worried about, but Anubis did seem to be struggling with his anger. There were small incidents now and then that caused us some concern. The earliest that happened was when Horus and I were doing dishes together. Horus can be such a goofball. He had me cracking up at some of the ridiculous stories he was telling me. But our fun stopped when we heard the sound of breaking glass outside the kitchen. We went out to investigate and found a picture frame had been broken, but there was no one in sight. Later that evening I saw Anubis with a bandage around his hand. I didn’t say anything to him.

It started to become a normal occurrence to find something was suddenly broken. The strangest thing I found was a chair that had gotten stuck in the railing along the side of the boat’s deck. Although I was glad Anubis was taking out his anger out on objects rather than us, Horus was beginning to bemoan the slow destruction of his boat.

“Nakia, what will we do when there isn’t anything left that isn’t broken?” Horus whined to me one day.

“Just replace it. You’re rich. We can just stop somewhere to get new furniture.”

“But I like the stuff I haaaave...” Horus had a huge pout on his face. It was hard to take him so seriously when he looked so ridiculous.

“I’m sure you’ll like your new stuff too,” I said with a pat to his shoulder. He didn’t seem convinced, but I had to leave before I started laughing. I didn’t want to make him feel worse.

It was hard for me to get a grasp of this new Anubis. He was still trying to avoid me, but that was much harder to do when confined to a boat together. Sometimes I wasn’t sure if he was avoiding me because he was mad at me or he was worried he would get mad. I let him keep his distance. I was also worried I may not keep myself in check and start a fight again.

I didn’t get to talk to him properly until we had started a new course to India. We were finally on track and I had to keep my senses sharp in case we came over a canopic jar. I entered our living area from being outside on the deck and found Anubis slouched on the couch. He was spaced out, his brows slightly furrowed. I wasn’t sure if I should approach him since Horus wasn’t around, but I thought it would be rude to not say anything. I walked to the couch and sat next to him, allowing some room between us.

“Are you okay, Anubis?”

Anubis paused before responding, “...I think I might be sick.”

“Is your wound not healing?” I asked suddenly worried.

“No, that has already healed. I do not feel well. My chest is always burning. I can’t make it go away.”

“That’s just how anger feels. That or you have heartburn,” I said with a shrug.

“I hate feeling this way…” He pulled his arms tighter around himself. He kept staring at the floor. I had no idea what he was thinking about.

“Well, sometimes when people are upset or angry it helps to talk about it. Like the time you felt guilt for the first time and were upset. After you talked about it you seemed to be doing a lot better.”

Anubis didn’t say anything for a long time. I guessed he didn’t want to talk to me about it. I thought about getting Horus to come here when he finally spoke. “I have been trying to figure out what is making me feel so angry but I am not sure. I thought at first it could have been Set, and I am mad at him. But I’m not this angry at him. There is something else but I do not know what it is.”

“I’m not really a therapist, but whenever I’m mad I usually picture myself punching the thing I’m mad at to make me feel better. Is there anything in particular your anger makes you want to punch. Other than our furniture…”

Anubis closed his eyes, scrunching his eyes in concentration. He eventually relaxed and went back to staring in the distance. “Myself,” he said with a look of melancholy.

“Why are you mad at yourself?”

“I do not know. I keep telling myself there are other people that I should be mad at, but it keeps turning back to me.  There is something more to it, but the pieces are missing. And that only frustrates me more.”

“Usually when someone is mad at themselves, it’s because they hate themselves for some reason. Do you feel like there is something about yourself that you hate?”

His expression slipped. His face went slack and eyes were glassy. I sighed, “You still can’t hate. That might be the problem. For some reason I thought you would be able to now, but I guess anger isn’t always about hate. You can be angry at people you love to.”

“I wouldn’t know anything about that,” Anubis said still looking away with unfocused eyes.

“It’s okay,” I said with a smile. “I don’t know why you feel this way, but I hope you can forgive yourself. I don’t think it’s healthy to hold on to your anger. Even if you want to know where it’s coming from, it’s better to try and let it go for now. You may understand it better after more of your heart is complete.”

“... yeah. Okay.” He sank further into his seat pulling his knees up. I scooted closer to him letting him rest some of his weight on me. We stayed like that for a while, letting the silence calm us.

* * *

I had hoped our conversation would have helped him with his outbursts, but it didn’t seem to do much. The next morning I heard a crash and rushed into the living room. The glass cabinet that had held an array of glassware from around the world was now flipped over. There was glass shards scattered all across the floor.

Anubis stood next to the broken cabinet, back hunched. He turned his glare at me and shouted, “What the hell are you looking at?! Get the fuck out of here!”

I started to shake. I could feel the corners of my eyes burning. I knew I should leave, but I couldn’t make my body move. “Anubis, calm-”

“What did I just tell you?!” He stomped over the glass coming towards me. I took a step back, feeling terrified. From behind me Horus suddenly rushed out. He crashed into Anubis, pushing him into the wall. Anubis kicked and snarled. Horus kept steady having the upper hand over him.

“Get a hold of yourself!” Horus yelled.

“Let go!”

“Not until you relax!”

“Get off!”

My back hit the wall and I sank to the floor. Anubis kept struggling but slowly he fought less and less. Eventually he was still but Horus didn’t take any chances. He held him in place against the wall.

“Are you done?” Horus asked sternly.

“...give me a minute.” Anubis let Horus hold him there for a while longer. He took some deep breathes before saying, “Okay, I’m done.” Horus released him. Anubis immediately left out the door without looking at us.

“Dammit Anubis…” Horus swore. He kicked at the broken glass. I gripped at the wall trying to stand. My knees were shaking so it was hard to keep steady. Horus heard some of the glass break under my feet and remembered I was here. He quickly rushed to me helping me get up.

“You’re not hurt, are you?”

“No, I’m fine. I… can’t stop shaking.”

“I’ll help you to your room.”

“The glass…” I began to argue.

“I’ll handle it. Watch your feet.”

Horus helped me down the stairs and left me on my bed. I wish he could have stayed, but he rushed out before I could say anything. I laid down trying to calm my heartbeat.

I stayed in my room for a couple of hours. I didn’t feel safe leaving until I heard Anubis walk down the hall to his own room. I waited a few minutes after hearing his door click shut before I left. I climbed the stairs and went back into the living room.

The mess had been cleaned up. The cabinet was upright again but it was obviously broken. One side of it had completely collapsed and sagged to the ground. There were garbage bags and a broom set beside it. I wasn’t sure I would walk around in here without shoes until I could vacuum every inch of the floor.

Horus was sprawled out on the couch, his arm resting on his forehead. I walked to him and noticed he was completely asleep. He had a blanket covering him. By how neatly it was spread out on him I had a feeling Anubis had put it there. I sat at the edge of the coffee table next to him.

“How do you put up with him, Horus…” My voice didn’t stir him. He was deeply asleep. My stare turned glassy. Anubis had looked so wild. For a moment I was glad Horus was so level headed, but then I remembered Horus had once done much worse in his anger. I had nearly forgotten the memory Amun had showed me of Horus fighting Anubis. Amun had been trying to prove his point that people aren’t always the way they appear. They seemed like close brothers, but even they had an ugly past.

“I never did ask him about that,” I said to myself. “I guess it is kind of impossible to ask about. I shouldn’t know about it in the first place.” I watched Horus’ peaceful face not really focusing on anything at all. Horus had felt so angry with Anubis back then I wondered how he resolved their animosity. Perhaps if I knew it would give me an idea on how to help Anubis with his current anger.

_ “You can do it too, you know.”  _ Amun’s voice echoed in that pure white hospital room. _ “Your eyes have been closed all this time, have they not? It’s time you open them.” _

“It’s not right for me to look,” I said out loud but even I couldn’t hear any conviction in my own voice. I was burning with curiosity. It wouldn’t be right, but it might help. Or was I making excuses. There was a boundary here. One I shouldn’t cross. My foot was in the air ready to take a step over it.

I stood up and started rubbing hard on my lips. The lips was the part of the body with the thinnest layer of skin. That’s why they were red. It’s the blood underneath. Blood on blood contact is the easiest way to perform magic, especially the kind that allows you into someone’s memories. Were you planning this all along, Amun?

“I swear to god, if you wake up I’m going to be completely screwed.” It was my last moment of hesitation, my last turning point. I could stop now. My body wanted me to pull back and walk away.

I bent down and gave Horus’ lips a kiss.

* * *

It worked in an instant. I had somehow remembered the feeling of this magic and let myself be pulled into it. But it wasn’t the same. I was in complete control and I had no idea what I was doing. I was stuck in a kaleidoscope of memories. They rushed all around me, sometimes passing through me. It was hard to remember who I was as I felt torn between being two people. I stopped staring into the endless chaos of thoughts. I pulled into myself, trying to piece words together.

‘I want to know… Anubis… how you… anger… how you stopped your anger... of Anubis…’

I opened my eyes and saw the multitude of memories begin to thin out. Among them rose a singular memory. I reached out embracing the person I was in it.

Before me blossomed an oasis in the midst of the desert. Such a thing I knew had become a rare beauty in these times. I would change this of course. Set wasn’t in control anymore. This chaos that reached from the death gripping sand into the lives of helpless mortals would be pushed back. More oases like these would prosper again as they did before. It was my destiny as the king of Egypt.

That was why it was so foreboding to find death in a place growing with newfound life. I hid behind the brush to watch from afar. I watched as he dragged the body out of the water. A drowning most likely. In a desert water is equal to life, but not for this human. I saw the boy move a hand over his body whispering words I couldn’t hear.

The corpse moved. The mouth opened and from it burst forth a glowing white bird. It fluttered its wings in panic. It was a new life for it. It didn’t know how to fly. The boy caught it in his hands, pinning the wings down. He ran a thumb slowly across its head. The soul slowly stopped resisting its captor. It rested on the boy’s arm no longer trying to escape.

I wondered why I came here. I don’t want to talk to him. I didn’t want to see him snuff out the lives I was supposed to protect. The war was over. We won. I had nothing to gain from him now when I had everything that was meant to be mine.

I moved to leave and made an ametuer mistake. I took a step without looking and happened to step on the tail of a sand rat. It squealed and hurried away, shaking the brush in its wake. I panicked, whipping my head around hoping that by some miracle he hadn’t heard. But he had ears as sharp as a jackal. He stood looking in my direction, the glowing white soul still nested on his arm. There was no sneaking away now, not without looking like a fool.

I brushed past the bushes and flora. When I reached the outer edges of the small lake my sandals sank slightly into the sand. The ground was as reluctant to let me move as my heart was. Anpu watched me approaching, eyes wide and bewildered.

“Hello pharaoh,” he greeted me. It was the first time hearing him address me with my new title, but I never did bother to speak to him much during or after the war. Before he always called me Horus the Child. His formality was grating. “I was not expecting to see you so far from Thinis.”

“I’m just evaluating the conditions in other parts of Egypt,” I lied.

“Is that so?” He lifted his arm sending the soul away. It flew with confidence until it disappeared into the  _ duat _ . Anpu pulled a cloth from his robes to dry his hands. His clothing was very informal. It was something you would expect on a slave or the poor except he at least kept his clothes clean. The only thing extravagant on him was a belt fashioned from a rainbow of colors that he tied around his waist. It wasn’t even fastened with gold but a plain metal hook. Just with his appearance his status couldn’t measure up with the gold bangles, beaded collar and tall crown I wore. Humans would laugh to think we were both gods.

“There isn’t much to find here,” Anpu continued. “This place is doing really well. Other parts have not been so fortunate. There is an illness spreading in Edfu that has claimed many lives. Many cities in Middle Egypt are also still struggling with famine. They have not had a good harvest yet. Directing food supplies to that area would bring them some relief.”

“I’ll be sure to visit those areas.”

“Very well. I hope I was some help to you, pharaoh.”

He turned to leave but I quickly shouted to his back, “Why did you give Osiris your throne, Anpu?”

Anpu stopped and turned to me. He looked uncomfortable but still answered me. “Osiris was the king of Egypt. He will make a good king to the  _ duat _ .”

“But you didn’t have to give him your place as ruler.”

Anpu shrugged. “I never wanted the throne.”

“Liar!” I snarled at him. I stomped toward him. The sand pulled at my feet with each step but nothing was going to stop me from getting to him. “That’s not something that you just give away to someone!”

“Why not?”

“Why not?! That throne was your birthright! You have the blood of a ruler! You were destined to rule the  _ duat _ ! It doesn’t matter if you hand your responsibilities to someone else. It will  _ always _ be yours,” I said jabbing my finger into his chest. I stood directly in front of him but he wouldn’t look at me as I spoke.

“I’m tired of it. Everyone praises you for your sacrifice, and yet your being here is how this mess started in the first place.”

“I did not do anything-”

“You didn’t have to do anything,” I said over him. “You just had to be born. Set killed dad to get revenge because Nephthys gave birth to you. And look at you now. Everyone loves you. So loyal. So selfless. You don’t lift a finger to fight against Set but you have everyone convinced you’re some hero.”

Anpu still wouldn’t look at me, but his mouth pulled into a scowl. It was satisfying to see some fire in his eyes, much more satisfying than cutting his body to pieces as he refused to fight back. I smiled to myself.

“What’s your real game, Anpu? You’ve only served yourself through this war. What will you do now? Are you going to pull the rug under my father and get your power back? Or are you going to hide and do nothing like you always do? Just sit back and be worthless while everyone fawns over-”

Something grabbed at my foot and pulled me from behind. I felt myself fall to my back but I was quick to react. I grabbed my scimitar and slashed at what took hold of me. My weapon cut through sand and nothing else. I caught myself before hitting the ground. I looked at my ankle but there was nothing there but a shadow as black as onyx. My  _ sheut _ did this?

I tried to pull myself into a balanced stance but I had no way to counter the shadow that was now grabbing at my arms. Anpu appeared at my front and kicked downward on my restrained arm. I cried out, my scimitar falling through my fingers. Anpu was quick to grab it in his own grasp. His face was red with fury as he slashed at me. He pushed the tip of the weapon’s edge into my shoulder. I shouted and tried to fend him off me but I was completely powerless. I had never been attacked using  _ sheut _ before. I didn’t know how to free myself from them.

We fell into the damp sand, Anpu on top of me still digging the scimitar into my chest. I had won so many battles that I always felt confident in my own skills. It had been a long time since I’d felt real terror for myself. Despite his advantage, Anpu didn’t attack anymore than keeping me pinned down. His hair hung down barely disguising the look of rage he glared at me with.

“I have had it with your attitude! You are ignorant to think I would never rise to help the people I love! It is all I have ever done! I served and worked with Osiris for all the years he ruled! When he was killed, I helped to search every inch of Egypt to find his remains! I performed the open mouth ceremony that saved his soul from suffering!

“No, I couldn’t save his life, but I gave him the best life that was possible for him! I gave him my throne because I knew he would go stir crazy being stuck in the  _ duat _ without a kingdom to look after! You say I don’t do anything?! I have done everything I can to keep your family alive and prosperous and I will continue to do so for as long as I live!”

Anpu shouted. I expected to be hit with another wave of pain, but instead he took the scimitar and chucked it into the oasis. He pushed himself off my body. I could feel myself be released but I couldn’t bring myself to get up. My heart was pounding. Through the years I’ve had a lot of people shout at me, in combat or outside. I could take whatever words they threw at me. However, having someone who was normally silent come at you with words so forceful they made your bones tremble was a new level of intensity.

“RAAAHH!” I jumped up when I heard the shout, my battle instincts preparing me to fight. Anpu wasn’t near me, though. He had a handful of rocks he was chucking into the water. He kept picking them up and casting them out, some of them skipping the water’s edge and landing on the other shore but most of them sank. He kept throwing and throwing until eventually he exhausted himself. His shoulders slumped and the remaining rocks spilled from his hand.

I watched his outburst in stunned silence. He turned back to me and my muscles tensed. Most of his anger had faded. Now he looked at me with irritation and… guilt? I may have been over reading his expression.

“Horus,” he called to me. I was surprised he was dropping the formality. Was he going to treat me with disrespect now? “I hope for your sake you became pharaoh because it is what you want, not because it was what you were told to be.” 

He didn’t turn to leave this time. Instead his form turned into sand darker than the sand on the wet shore. The sand collapsed and fell. There was nothing but a black mound where Anpu once stood.

With him gone, I assessed my injury. It wasn’t as bad as it could have been. It would be easy to fix. I got to my feet and picked up the crown that had fallen to the ground. I looked out at the water’s smooth surface. “That asshole lost my favorite weapon…”

I should be angry but I couldn’t muster the energy. Instead his final words buzzed in my ears. Why did I become pharaoh? I never thought of my role as being a choice but now I wasn’t sure how I felt about being a ruler. It never occurred to me to wonder about such a thing.

“This is the life I always wanted… right?” I waited but the world gave no reply.

* * *

It was like holding your breathe and finally gasping for air. I pulled out of the memory like breaking the water’s surface. I was back in reality, my body crouched over Horus’ sleeping form. He didn’t stir at all. I wasn’t sure how much time had passed in reality. In a panic I swept my eyes over the entire room but no one else witnessed what I had done. I sighed with relief.

I backed away from Horus afraid of waking him. I went back downstairs to my room to think about what I experienced.


	22. The God of Corn Dogs

_**Chapter 22: The God of Corn Dogs** _

Horus and Anubis both jumped from the loud crash on the dining table. They were eating toast and smoked salmon together (Horus still found it amusing Anubis doesn't hate fish like he used to). Instead of making myself a plate I unceremoniously dropped a giant bag of ice on the table. Their looks of confusion were hilarious.

"What is this for?" Anubis asked.

"For you," I replied enthusiastically.

"Why…?"

Horus leaned over to see Anubis, my 5 kilogram bag blocking his view. "I think she's trying to say you need to chill."

"Horus…" I sighed. Anubis also shot him a glare, but Horus was undeterred.

"It's funny, Anubis. You'd get it if you had a sense of humor."

"I have no idea what you are talking about," Anubis gibed.

"Can I explain myself before you two start bickering with each other?" I interjected. They stopped and gave me their attention. I pointed to the ice. "This bag will be going to the freezer, but in all the other rooms I have a cooler also filled with ice. Whenever you get angry, Anubis, try to not take it out on the furniture. Instead, grab some ice from a cooler, or the freezer in here, and throw it on the ground all you want until you feel better."

"Nakia, you do care about my decorating dilemma…" Horus looked touched.

"I'm more concerned about Anubis' mental health."

Anubis started stabbing at his plate. "I thought you would not want to help me after yesterday."

"I want to help you _because_ of what happened yesterday. You need a healthy outlet."

"You are not mad then?"

"Of course not. After all I've been through, you'll have to do a lot more to scare me away."

"This idea is ingenious," Horus said as he twisted the bag open.

"Those aren't for you!" I protested.

Horus took a cube in his fingers, admiring it. "These will be so much easier to clean," he said as he flung the ice in his mouth and bit down with a crunch.

It turned out there wasn't much we had to clean at all. I had thought I would have to mop up any ice left to melt on the floor, but it wasn't necessary. Paws loved the ice cubes. He would lick them off the floor and eat any he found. The only time I ever had to pull out a mop was when Paws was busy commandeering the boat.

As the weeks went by Anubis' outbursts also started to decrease. I think the guilt of breaking Horus' possessions and dealing with the aftermath was aggravating him more. Without that concern Anubis was able to manage his emotions better. He stopped avoiding me as much, trusting himself to not blow up in my presence. With less tantrums, I had to start sliding ice across the floor of the deck for Paws to play with. He didn't seem to like Anubis' lack of outbursts as much. He had started pawing at the coolers while whining for someone to throw them for him.

One night I went to bed and was shocked when I glanced at the date on my tablet. It was the fourth of July today. If I were at home I would be enjoying the fireworks. No, I would be at a cook-out with my family considering the time zones. I didn't want to think about it. I would have to think about my aunt and uncle missing me. I haven't even seen my grandparents since last Christmas. It must be so hard for them too.

Had I stayed I would have finished my sophomore year at school. I only had two months left when Anubis began haunting my class. I hadn't even looked at a textbook since then. The most studying I did now was teaching myself some programming my uncle didn't get around to showing me. I had to basically teach myself Java to make the app for finding canopic jars. Before, I hadn't been sure if I would go into computer science after high school but now it looked inevitable. Assuming I could get a GED…

Thinking about my human life was stressing me out. I flipped my light switch and threw myself into my sheets.

* * *

It wasn't hard to shake me from my sleep. I was already having a restless night. I jerked away from the hand on my shoulder. I rubbed at my eyes trying to make out the dark figure standing by my bed.

"What are you doing here, Horus?" I said with a groggy voice.

"I'm sorry to wake you, Nakia. There's a situation in the duat and Anubis asked me to send your soul there. You don't mind, do you?"

I groaned, pressing my palms to my eyes as I rolled onto my back. "I don't want to turn into a bird again…"

"What do you mean? Being a bird is awesome!" I pulled my hands away and glared at him. "Don't look at me like that. You look like Anubis when you do that."

I rolled my eyes at him.

"Just get it over with…"

"Alright. I'll try to keep your human form for you. Just focus on how your body should feel."

I did as he said. He held finger to my head and I was pushed out of my body.

* * *

My bodiless travel to the duat wasn't as turbulent as the first time. True to his word, Horus was able to keep me in a human form. It was still unsettling to be transparent but you can't have everything. Anubis was here when I arrived. We were in the great hall that held Osiris' throne and the giant onyx weighing scale. I did not like being back here.

"Horus should be here in a moment." Anubis said.

"Why are we here?"

"I do not know the details. I only know it concerns Osiris. Ah…"

Horus flew in with the body that looked like a large hawk. He descended slowly in tight circles, flashing off his flying skills. He turned into his human shape before landing on the floor. Although I knew that Horus and Anubis came here with their souls, they weren't see through like I was. Must be a godly thing.

"Don't worry, you two. I have arrived!"

"Was that necessary?" Anubis asked giving him a sullen look.

"What? I was merely showing Nakia what the joys of flying looks like. How about it, Nakia? I could give you some tips."

"I'll pass," I said.

"Let's get going," Anubis called to us, not up for playing around. I was thankful for his impatience. I didn't want to stay here.

We twisted and turned through the many halls and corridors. I stuck close to Anubis' back, never sure of where we were going. I had thought my school had a confusing layout with halls that lead to nowhere and classes only accessible by cutting through the gym. This place made my school seem logical.

I could hear arguing in the hall when we reached our destination. The door was wide open inviting anyone to enter. Inside was an office much larger than Thoth's, or maybe it was only cleaner. It was odd going from halls in a distinct Egyptian aesthetic to a room that had prominently Chinese decor. The designs of the tables and chairs had overlapping geometric shapes that matched one another. There was a golden folding screen that divided the room into different sections. On the walls hung long prints of Chinese calligraphy.

There were many gods inside arguing with each other, some human in appearance, others with the odd animal-headed appearances, and one who's… just a very large bird. I'll never get used to this.

They all were grouped around a table similar to one we had in our boat but was lower to the floor. Ours had a map of the world, but it looked like theirs was a map of a specific region. Seeing as one side had a long river across it I guessed it was a map of Egypt.

"It is the interference of mortals, I say!" Squawked the bird god. "They keep building these contraptions. They are meddling with nature!"

"We've already heard from gods in the region that the mortals aren't responsible," a tall woman countered.

"-this time," muttered another in a very husky voice.

"Conspiracies!"

"I say we persecute Khonsu," added a green skinned man with a long braided beard. "To be so daring as to steal the moon from the sky. He must be held accountable."

"The moon returned to the sky several nights ago, yet nothing has changed. What good would punishing him do?"

"It would make me feel better…"

The group of gods kept bickering. They didn't seem to notice we were there. I heard Anubis give a sigh before shouting, "QUIET!"

It did the trick. The room fell silent and everyone turned to us. Horus gave a pat to Anubis' shoulder before addressing the room. "Can you fill us in on what the situation is?"

"Osiris has not revived," the tall woman reported.

Horus and Anubis gave each other a look. It sounded serious, but I wasn't sure what they meant by revive. Did they mean his aging with the moon thing?

"Is he here?" Anubis asked.

"No, he stepped out. He's been restless these past few weeks."

Horus broke away from us and sat with the group around the table. He had a hand to his chin, deep in thought. "Are there any other unusual occurrences that could cause this?"

"What unusual event hasn't occurred this month?" shrugged a frog faced god. "The moon was gone. The crops along the nile won't grow. There have been reports of flooding in other regions."

The bird god waved his wings in the air. "It's the mortals doing it! They built the flabbergasted dam and invented global warming! They want us gods dead!"

"No one cares about your speciest theories, Bennu."

"You lot requested me to bring my expertise. I revive every 500 years. I'm an expert in rebirth!"

Horus took hold of the situation before it could spiral out of control again. "Bennu, your help is most valued and I'm glad you're here. We do need to hear everyone's thoughts before we try to solve this. Your insight is equally important as everyone here." Horus tapped the map. "I want you to tell me everything about this situation with the farmlands."

As the other gods began giving their explanations, Horus waved a hand for Anubis to come over, his eyes never leaving the table. Anubis turned to me. "I need to help him."

"Okay. Is there anyway I can help? I don't really know what this reviving thing is but…"

"It is… a lot to explain. I will tell you about it afterwards. Why don't you wait by the door for us to finish. And," he pointed a finger at me, " _don't_ wander off."

"Yeah, I won't." Anubis left me to join Horus at the table. I stepped out of the office, sitting on the floor next to the doorway. I pulled my knees to my chest as I waited.

I was bored and a bit peeved I was pushed to the side. I could be sleeping right now. Instead I sat observing the oddity of seeing my arms through my legs as the gods in the other room argued. Little snippets I could catch weren't easy to piece together. It sounded more like an argument between farmers and climatologists than one over reviving a god.

After some time I saw Anubis walking to me from the corner of my eye. They must have finished. I was a bit frustrated so I didn't grace him with a look. He said to me, "You look bored, Nakia."

He sparked my temper. I snapped at him, "Of course I am! I don't know why you two brought me here if I'm just going to sit in the hall doing nothing while you guys do all the work. If I'm that useless you should have just let me sleep."

"Well… I'm glad they brought you. I miss seeing humans. The only ones here are the dead."

I jerked up, my heart pounding in surprise like a child grabbing their mother's hand but realizing the hand belonged to a stranger. The person I took to be Anubis was someone else I knew. I have met Osiris on two occasions - the first time he was a child and the other he was a middle-aged man. The cycle of the moon was always different when I met him. This is the first time I've seen him as a young man.

He was the spitting image of Anubis. The only differences were that his hair was completely black, his eyes were always silver, and he was taller. Otherwise it was understandable how I could mistake him for Anubis. He really did inherit his father's looks.

"I thought you were… but you're not. Sorry, I… Hello Osiris." I felt so flustered I couldn't piece together a coherent sentence.

Osiris smiled, "Hello Nakia."

He walked around and to my surprise sat on the floor next to me. Normally when I see him he's wearing elegant white robes but this time he was dressed in modern clothing. He still had a sharp appearance in his black slacks and crisp, chiffon button shirt. I didn't want him to get his clothes dirty by sitting on the ground with me but he didn't seem to care.

"Listen to them…" Osiris said leaning his body to look over at the door. "I could only stand being in there for two minutes before I bolted. And they're still at it…"

"Shouldn't you be helping them? They are trying to help you."

"That's why I called my sons here," he chimed in cheerfully.

"Oh…" I finally figured out who had told them to bring me here.

"I'll wait for them to talk it out before jumping in."

I crossed my legs and angled myself toward Osiris. "May I ask you something?"

"Certainly."

"They were saying before that you haven't revived but I'm not sure what they mean by that. You don't look unhealthy or anything…"

"Except for being dead," he frankly replied.

"Oh! Oh... I'd forgotten that… Does that mean you can be brought back to life?"

"Yes." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a single kernel of corn. "I am like this seed. Without life and buried underground. When the seasons change, new life is reborn." From the golden kernel roots sprung out. It grew at a rapid speed until a single leaf broke free. "When the first leaf breaks from the soil and touches the sun, I too can break free from the duat and be reborn onto the surface."

The corn continued to grow until it towered over us, magically staying upright. "Eventually the seasons change." The stalk turned flaxen gold. The leaves wrinkled with old age. "The harvest comes and everything returns to the soil where it came from." The stalk of corn bursts. The leaves and everything dissolved in the air. The only survivors were two ears of corn that fell into Osiris' hands. "Want one?"

I took the corn he offered me. "That's a pretty cool trick. Do you always carry around kernels of corn with you?"

"Heh, sort of. As a god of vegetation and corn I can materialize it from my magic whenever I wish. I'm a good person to invite for movie nights. You never have to worry about running out of popcorn."

"So you're a corn dog? Oh, I mean… pff-hahaha!" I started laughing at the ridiculous error I made. I hadn't meant to say 'dog' instead of 'god' but now the image of the king of the underworld being a corn dog had me clutching my sides.

Osiris was confused by my reaction. "I'm not a dog like Anubis is…"

"No no… I misspoke. I meant to say corn god. Ignore me. It just struck me as funny." I covered my mouth trying to cover my leftover giggles as coughs.

"I still don't understand, but to answer your question, yes, I'm a god of corn." He leaned back against the wall sitting on his hands. "The cycle that governs my rebirth has been broken. I worry I won't be reborn this year. I miss the surface. I miss the people and the energy of life. I want to return, but I'm trapped here."

The warmth in my chest my laughter had brought turned cold. It was heartbreaking looking at the tragic smile he held as he said those words. "Do you know who could be behind this?" I asked with a desire to fix what was holding Osiris here.

"I don't know of certain who, but I imagine a water deity is involved."

"A water deity? Like they're keeping the crops from being watered or something?"

"Yes, precisely that. This wouldn't be the first time this has happened. Once my grandmother Tefnut became very distraught. She took all the moisture in Egypt and fled to Sudan. It was many years before she returned. I felt like I was losing my mind…"

"Maybe we'll go find her then," I offered.

Osiris shook his head. "It's not her this time. She is in Aaru. For some time she has been planning a ball of sorts. No, if only it could be that simple. But there are many water gods so the culprit will be hard to determine. It will take some investigating to find who is causing this."

"I don't know how much help we'll be, but Anubis and I can look into it."

"You have your own mission. I don't wish to keep you from your goal," Osiris replied apologetically.

"This is something I want to help with. The canopic jars aren't going anywhere." I wanted to explain more, but it was caught in the back of my throat not wanting to come out. He had mentioned Aaru, the place I had once visited. The place I had reunited with my parents, but only briefly. They said Osiris was the reason they were there. He had helped my family when I couldn't be there for them. I had to return my gratitude.

He smiled. "You are very kind." As he said this the real Anubis and Horus came out of the office. I could hear the other gods talking inside still. Anubis looked irritated. Horus with his hand on his shoulders pushing him along probably wasn't helping.

"She's not going to like it," Anubis said carrying on some conversation from within the office.

"You'll still have to tell her. Oh! Hi, dad!" Horus noticed us sitting on the ground together. I was going to get up but Horus trotted over and sat on the ground with us. "Are we having a group bonding session on the floor?"

"We are now," Osiris said with a chuckle.

"Okay, let me start." Horus cleared his throat. "Once when I was 127 years old, I-"

"Horus, we do not have time for this," Anubis interrupted. "We need to send Nakia back and start working out our plan."

"What's the plan?" I asked Horus.

His shoulders slumped. "You're not going to like it."

Standing above us, Anubis said, "We have to go to the Nile and figure out what is causing the drought."

"Which is easier said than done," Horus continued. "We aren't farmers. This would be better for know-it-alls like Thoth or Ptah, but they want us to go. If the reason for the drought is any more complicated than it's not raining then we'll be over our heads."

"But it doesn't rain in Egypt," I argued.

"Not often," Osiris added.

"You understand how impossible this will be for us then. Honestly, I would much rather send someone else to do it."

"There's no way Thoth will do another favor for you," I said.

"And Ptah is busy with a research grant," Anubis joined in. "There's no one else to send, and everyone else is doing their part. We have to do ours."

"I know, I just want to complain…" Horus leaned on Osiris and wrapped his arms around his shoulders. "Dad, don't stay dead. I love you," Horus whined.

"I believe in you, my son."

Anubis squatted close to the ground so we were eye level. "We have to go straight to Egypt which means we will be going off course. We'll have to rework the route you made with Paws."

"It's fine," I said.

Anubis looked taken aback. He asked me skeptically, "Are you sure? You were angry the last time I wanted to change our travel plans."

"I'm fine," I firmly stated.

I didn't want to tell him how I was screaming a stream of curse words in my head. The frustration of having to rework plans I had already invested weeks of work into was insurmountable. But I had promised Horus I would keep my temper in check so I didn't say anything. I just wanted Anubis to stop questioning me about it.

"You aren't-"

"Anubis, are you going to sit with us in the circle of bonding or are we going to leave like you wanted?" Horus asked cutting him off.

"What's bonding?"

"When you become closer to other people," Osiris said patiently.

"I am already close to you without sitting."

"He doesn't mean it like that, Anubis," Horus said.

"We can sit in a circle on the boat." Anubis stood up.

"He doesn't get it," I said to Horus.

Horus shot me a mischievous grin. "Not at all. Which means he won't be joining our group hug either." With that Horus grabbed both Osiris and me into a tight hug. It was uncomfortable and slightly awkward, but Osiris gave a laugh that chimed like bells and made the world seem more hopeful. I wrapped my transparent arms around the two gods my heart feeling lighter than it had been in a long time.

We broke away and Horus helped us stand on our feet. I could tell Anubis was itching to leave. Horus and Osiris were saying their goodbyes as Anubis stood at a distance with his arms crossed. I went to him and asked, "Aren't you going to say goodbye too?"

Anubis shrugged, "We will see him on the surface soon."

I smiled. As Horus rejoined us I called to Osiris, "Don't worry! We will help revive you Osiris!"

"Good luck!" His voice rang as he waved us off.

* * *

It took us a week to reach Egypt from India. It was the second week of July and the heat was really climbing up the charts. I thought it would be unbearable in Egypt, but it was actually more tolerable than India. The heat there clung to the skin so you were always dripping in sweat. In Egypt, while hotter, the air was dry. Standing out in the sun outside of our boat wasn't so bad, even if I had to wear longer sleeves and pants.

"Home sweet home!" Horus exclaimed, arms outstretched.

"If you say so," Anubis muttered beside him.

I could get what he meant. When I think of Egypt I picture deserts, pyramids, and camels. We had landed our boat by the Nile in the middle of Cairo. As expected of a city, it was filled with skyscrapers, cars rushing by filling the area with sounds of engines running and cars honking. It felt like any other city I had been to. If it weren't for the signs having Arabic along with English and seeing most of the women walk by wearing hijab it would feel no different than being in a city anywhere else. If it felt this way to me, it must be even stranger for Anubis and Horus who've lived here since ancient times.

"It's still home. The Nile's still the same, though looking a bit depleted. We'll fix that. Somehow… Ra is still sailing above as always. And the city is thriving thanks to my leadership."

"You're not the president of Egypt, Horus," I reminded him.

"No, but I built the foundation." He seemed so proud of himself I didn't feel like challenging him.

"Paws, over here," Anubis called out. Paws ran to him and sat still as Anubis put a leash on him.

I walked over to the shore to check out the Nile. The river was lined with stone and cement. You could tell on a normal day the water was brimming to the top. There was a dark line in the cement from years of being soaked in river water. The discoloration sagged down several feet before meeting the water's level. There had been a clear effort to make due with the situation. There were temporary stairs connected to the docks so fishermen could get into their boats. Still, many had moved their boats out of the water. Numerous docks were bare without any ships. Something was clearly very wrong here.

"Gather round!" Horus waved me over. I joined Horus and Anubis with Paws at his side. "First, we need to get some information about the situation. The local gods may know something we don't. I think we should split up. Cover more ground, y'know? So I will go east of the Nile and ask around. Maybe I'll find Hapi if I'm lucky. Anubis, you can hit up the west side and see what you find."

"Alright."

"And what about me? Am I sticking with Anubis?" I asked.

Anubis held up the leash to me. "You take Paws on a walk."

"What? No way! Let me come with!"

"It'll be easier this way," Anubis said. "You don't know these gods and we can move faster on our own."

"Not to mention the west of the Nile is the land of the dead," Horus added, wiggling his fingers like he's telling a spooky story. "There are places gods hide that humans don't have any business being."

"You say that like I haven't been to the duat multiple times, but fine. If it's faster then I'll just stay with Paws. Should we meet back here at a certain time?"

Horus and Anubis looked each other. "How long do you think it'll take you?" Horus asked.

"There are some places in the desert I want to check."

"Hmm," Horus glanced to the sky before coming to a decision. "We'll meet back here when the sun is in the 8th position."

"And when exactly is that?" I asked.

"Around 3 o'clock your time."

"Don't worry," Anubis said. "Paws will know when it's time."

As though on cue, Paws barked and started tugging on the leash. He whined as he nearly pulled me off my feet. "Okay, I guess I'm going now? Paws, wait a second," I scolded. I looked back and called, "Good lu-." They were already gone. I had no idea how they disappeared when I only had my eyes off of them for a second. I guess they really could get things done faster without me.

We walked around with no clear direction for a while. At first we passed a lot of embassies. There was a row of softly waving flags of the world along the street. I made Paws cross the street when I saw the American flag in front of one of them. I really shouldn't be worried about being caught as a runaway here of all places, but our trip to Las Vegas a few weeks ago made me a bit nervous.

Paws was able to get his energy out when we found a park filled with palm trees and a small lake. That was when I started to notice that Paws was a bit different today. While I sat and watched him bark at birds and run around, curious locals would occasional come up to me. They would ask me questions about where I was from and such. Each time Paws would bolt to me and start furiously barking at them till he scared them away.

"Stop that, Paws! Seriously, what's your problem?" It didn't stop at the park. We kept walking around the city. If someone got too close, Paws would growl until they left. It was bizarre for him. I was glad he did it when a group of teenagers came to me trying to sell me something, but it got to the point that I was afraid to approach anyone or Paws would harass them.

We crossed a street that had a roundabout. It proved to be more difficult than I anticipated. It was a busy road and the cars didn't want to stop for anyone. I had to follow along with some other people and take cues from them on when to stop and go. Once we reached the middle there was small circular island to rest at. Cement structures stretched low to the ground for people to rest their feet. A row of small trees stretched across the center of the area. The trees had long since wilted in the sun. I sat on the ground far away from any other people where a bed of flowers had been planted. I rubbed Paws head as he sat next to me, as though on guard.

"Why are you being so uptight today? Is there something wrong?" In response Paws licked my face. "Yes, I know, you love me." I sighed, "What am I going to do with you?"

I got up from my spot looking around at the traffic. I don't know if I was brave enough to attempt crossing on my own. And where was there to go? I was just killing time until I could meet Anubis and Horus again. I hope things were going well with them…

"Heeey!" I heard the shout from over the traffic. At first I dismissed it as background noise of the city, but then I saw a boy across the street waving his arm. "Heeeey!" He yelled again, seeming to be looking at me. I glanced behind me but there was no one else he could be yelling to.

He weaved through traffic like a seasoned pro. He made his way around the flower bed and came straight to me, holding out a hand. "Hello! My name's Jordan," he said in an English accent.

"I'm Nakia. It's nice to meet you," I shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you. Is that your dog?"

Paws was already at my side, reared up and lowly growled. "Yes, I'm sorry. He's been like this all day. He's normally very friendly."

"It could be the heat. I've got something for that." Jordan searched through a shoulder bag that looked to be filled with water bottles and some snacks. He pulled out a plastic lid from a canteen and filled it with water. He set it on the ground but Paws didn't take to it. His growling softened but he still glared at Jordan.

"Paws, come one, be nice," I begged.

"Want some jerky, boy?" The moment he snapped open the bag of jerky the air filled with the salty aroma of meat. Jordan offered a piece to Paws. Paws stopped growling and seemed indecisive about what to do. Eventually the smell of the jerky was too much for him and he took a bite, although he did it with a snap that made Jordan jump.

Jordan laughed, "Ha ha, you have good taste. Good boy." I was surprised to run into a stranger that would act so kind to Paws when he had been scaring everyone else away. The boy looked about my age. His skin was a smokey topaz color with midnight black hair. He had a messy, short afro that had curls sticking out in every which way. His eyes were kind but he seemed to act with no caution, both with crossing the street and feeding Paws. He didn't seem to care if the dog took a bite of his hand as he gave him another piece of jerky.

Jordan stood up when Paws started drinking from the water he gave him. "Do you live around here?"

"No, I'm just visiting."

Jordan's face fell a bit, "You're a tourist then? Man, I thought I'd finally found a foreigner my age who was living here."

"Are you live here?"

"I've been here for a few months. My uncle's an archaeologist. He brought me with him for an excavation, like a bring your nephew to work sort of thing."

"That sounds cool."

"Yeah, I can put grave digging on my CV now. So are you on vacation here?"

"Not really. I'm doing a world tour and this is one of my stops." This was an excuse I had grown used to giving through my travels, and it was closest to the truth I could get. It wasn't a lie even if people assume I'm on some sort of scholarship.

"You're traveling the world… with your dog?" Jordan asked skeptically.

"I'm a big dog person," I firmly stated.

"I can tell. So what does someone on a world tour do in Egypt?"

"Actually," I thought for a second but couldn't see much harm in being somewhat truthful. "I'm doing research on why the Nile's water level is receding."

"Yeah, that's been in the news a lot. There's been some saying it's a conspiracy and such but I don't think anyone really knows what's causing it."

"Well, that's what I'm here to do."

"For real," Jordan said with a half smile not seeming to believe me. "You think you can outdo the experts and solve the mystery yourself."

"It's worth a shot," I said, and felt more confident than I expected. I may not be an expert in geology but knowing that there was something mythological going on gave me an upper hand.

Jordan laughed and his eyes smiled as he regarded me, "Okay… um, not to be rude, but what was your name again?"

"Nakia."

"Nakia, right. That's an interesting name. Okay, Nakia. I don't have anything to do today so maybe I can lend you a hand."

"Umm, thanks but I don't know if you can help us that much." I didn't want to reveal to him that we were waiting around for Anubis and Horus. And there was no way I was going to take an outsider along with me.

"Sure I can! I know this place inside and out. In fact…" He pulled out a phone and started swiping away at the screen. "There's this museum not too far from here. A few days ago they put out a sign that had something about a Nile exhibit. I don't know much Arabic, but I'm pretty sure they're taking advantage of the stuff in the news to draw more people in. Here, look."

Jordan handed me his phone. He had an app open that showed information about the Agricultural Museum. According to the map it was only a twenty minute walk from here. It was a pretty good idea. At least we would have something to do. Anubis and Horus could investigate the godly world while I could gather intel in the human world.

"Alright, let's go. But first, do you know a good place to eat? We're a bit famished."

"Sure. There's a place just down the street. The shawarma there is delicious."

"Will that be okay with you, Paws?" I crouched to Paws' height. He responded by nuzzling his nose into Jordan's bag.

"Looks like he's gonna eat all my jerky."

"Sorry, I'll pay you back for it."

"Don't worry about it. I nabbed the bag from my uncle anyway. Come on. I'll help you cross the street without getting killed."


	23. I Summon the Phoney Magician!

_**Chapter 23: I Summon the Phoney Magician!** _

Jordan was a fun guy to hang out with. As we walked he told me stories about the things he's done here in Egypt. He was very animated, waving his arms in wide hand gestures. He nearly hit a passerby at one point and stopped to apologize profusely. From his stories I could tell he was someone that finds trouble easily. It made his stories funny and engaging, but I hoped he wouldn't cause that kind of trouble with me.

We ate at a small restaurant down the road. There was no interior. The food was prepared and served right there on a sidewalk. There wasn't a place to sit so we sat at the edge of the sidewalk while we ate.

"Oh, did you get any napkins?" I asked.

"No. Wait, there's something in your hair." He reached behind my ear and pulled out… a napkin. "There you go," he said with a sideways grin.

"Are you going to pull a rabbit from your hat next?"

"Maybe if I had a hat. I can show you my card tricks though."

Paws interrupted us with his loud growls and barking. There were two people standing by us that quickly backed off. They yelled at me to put him on a muzzle before storming off.

"Paws, cut that out! You're normally so good with strangers."

"Your dogs pretty good at sniffing out the scam artists."

"Scam artists?"

Jordan briefly pointed to the two that left. "Yeah, there's a lot of them here. You stay here long enough you can get a feel for who's genuine and who's out to get your money. They were lingering around us for a while. Glad your dog scared them off."

"I didn't know that. I don't think everyone he's barked at is a con artist, though."

"Yeah, like me," Jordan thumbed to himself.

I cocked an eyebrow. "Didn't you steal that jerky from your uncle? Little thief."

He shrugged. "We're family. It doesn't count."

We threw away our food and made our way to the museum. As we walked Jordan pulled out a deck of cards from his pocket. He shuffled and fanned out his cards in front of me. "Pick a card."

I took one and expected it to be a regular card set. Instead it was a monster card called 'Red Archery Girl'. I asked, "Are these Yugioh cards?"

"Yeah," Jordan said with a laugh. "My uncle can't stand them. He's like, 'Why is Obelisk a god? An obelisk is a stone pillar. There is a pantheon of interesting gods and they choose a rock? These cards are rubbish.'" I put my card back into the middle of the deck and Jordan started shuffling them again. "They drive him crazy so naturally I keep my cards on me at all times."

The cards made a crisp snap as he shuffled them together. With a fluid wave of his hand he drew the top card of the deck revealing the 'Red Archery Girl'. "Is this your card?" He asked with bravado.

I did a slow golf clap. "Wow. Best magic I've ever seen, and I've seen some impressive magic before, let me tell you."

"It's not magic. I simply believe in the heart of the cards."

I laughed. He continued to do some simple card tricks the rest of the way there. We were moving away from the busier parts of the city to some business districts. There were nicely dressed people in suits giving us stares as we walked. We must stand out, but Jordan seemed to be used to it. He was so invested in entertaining me I started to wonder how long it's been since he's had someone our age to talk to.

We arrived at the museum and just as Jordan said there was a big sign with the words "The Nile" written over the top. Below was a description in arabic along with before-and-after pictures of the Nile.

"Do they have anything for English speakers?" I asked. Normally I would be okay outside of not being able to read the signs. But Jordan wouldn't know that. I had to act like I had as much of a language barrier as he does.

"They usually have headsets that give descriptions of each exhibit. Some of the staff will speak English too, so no worries. Do we need to tie your dog outside?"

"He comes with. He's a registered service dog," I lied. Technically I had some papers that said he was, but they were counterfeits Anubis helped me make for when I wasn't with him.

"Oh, alright," Jordan gave me a curious glance, but didn't press the subject. We went inside together, Paws staying close to me. I was nervous that he would act aggressive to the people here, but luckily he stayed quiet and obedient. I couldn't say the same for Jordan.

"Do you have any specialists here we can talk to?" Jordan pressed the receptionists at the front desk.

"No, um, we have this audio guide and… this app. Download it here," she informed us giving us a brochure. She was a bit timid. I wondered if her English wasn't that good.

"That's great, but we could use a little more than that. We have a really important assignment and could use someone to talk to."

"We don't have that, I'm sorry."

"Come on, Jordan," I grabbed his shoulder. "Let's try the tour first. We might find out something inside."

"I'm just trying to get you more help," he said as I dragged him along.

"It's _my_ project. We'll do it my way."

"Whatever you say."

I went to the start of the exhibit but Jordan looped around to the end. I supposed it was more efficient for us to meet in the middle. I did occasionally hear people grumble around him. He walked against the flow, irritating those his path blocked.

Going through the museum I did learn a lot about the Nile. It was the silt in the water that helped fertilize the land. Because of this it had been a crucial lifeline for many civilizations. Now the water was controlled by the dam and an artificial lake called Lake Nasser worked as a reservoir. When the water was low, they would feed water from the lake into the Nile to maintain the water level.

"Why don't they open the reservoir then?" I asked.

"They talk about that on the news," Jordan replied. "They've been pouring water into the river but the levels have stayed the same. The water is either disappearing, being directed somewhere else, or, everyone's favorite, the Sudan government is conspiring against Egypt."

"Why would they care?"

"Lake Nasser is on the border between Egypt and Sudan so they both fight over the water. The Nile goes through a lot of countries so there's always people bickering over it."

"Lets just ignore that and think about where the water could be going. Are there any rivers the water could be channeling to?"

"There's some satellite pictures over there," Jordan directed me to the end of the exhibit.

The audio device in my ear described the current situation with the Nile in more detail. I wasn't the only one to think that the water was flowing to a different river. They've already used satellite images to check for any redirections but they didn't show anything.

I couldn't say I was surprised. If the gods were wrapped up in this then there probably wasn't a human explanation for it. I could only hope this information could help us narrow down the possibilities.

"Any ideas, geology girl," Jordan asked.

In defeat I said, "The gods are making the water disappear. That's the most logical explanation I can think of."

"Oh no, the global warming gods are gonna kill us with their wrath," he lamented in mock horror.

"Pff, global warming gods? I don't think anyone believes in that."

"How cruel. You deny their existence. No wonder they're punishing us. I'll have to erect a shrine and perform a human sacrifice for forgiveness."

"You're such a dork," I goaded, nudging him in the arm.

"Can't deny that. I thought your re-navigation theory was pretty good. Did you give up on it?"

"There's nothing in the satellite picture to show where the water would be going."

"What about under the river?"

"Hm?"

"Yeah, like erosion, or…" he clapped, "an underground cave that the water broke through. That would explain the sudden change and…" Jordan continued talking but I tuned him out. Has anyone checked underwater to see if there was anything there? It seemed like the gods had asked everyone around the river but haven't checked in the river itself. And Osiris did say a water diety was most likely involved. Maybe there was something in the river…

"This may work," a said below my voice but raised in volume. "This could be a lead. I can work with this! Jordan, you're a genius!"

"What? I am? It's not a stupid idea?"

"No! Well, maybe, but who cares? It's a lead! We can investigate the bottom of the Nile! We might find something there!"

I got a bit too excited and in my frenzy Paws started barking in excitement too. I came to a gridlock and quickly shushed him. Other people in the museum stole glances at us. I looked to Jordan. "We don't need to stay here longer, do we?"

"Nope. If you're ready to leave we can go."

We dropped off our headsets and left. It felt hotter outside after being in the air conditioned building. I checked my watch. It was getting close to three. We should be heading back now.

"Where to now?" Jordan asked walking backwards as we strode down the sidewalk.

"We can go back to the place we first met. I'm meeting with my friends soon and our rendezvous is close to there."

"Oh, I can't come too?" He smiled but he looked disappointed.

"I wish you could, but I can't bring anyone outside our group. Thanks to you, though, I may be able to figure out what's going on with the Nile. I have to run it across my friends, but this will give us something to look into. If we do solve it then it will help all the sailors and the farmers, and… just so many people!" I wanted to say Osiris too but this was the best way I could put it.

"You're so awesome."

"Huh?" Jordan abruptly stopped his backward pace and I walked past him by mistake. I turned around. He had been beaming at me when he said that but now he looked very flustered. He reached for the hood of his shirt, probably to try and hide his face, but he thought better of it and let it drop.

He caught up with me, walking forward this time. "Sorry, that... slipped out. I didn't mean anything by it."

"You didn't mean I'm awesome?" I prodded him.

"No! I just- I'm not flirting with you or anything. You're just kind of impressive, sometimes."

"Nah, you haven't met my friends. They're leagues above me. Chances are they probably figured everything out without me."

"But you're passionate and striving to do something in the world. You remind me of my uncle. God, I probably sound daft…"

"You're archeologist uncle?" I asked.

He heaved a sigh before explaining, "Yeah, him. He's- I don't know. He can be weird at times but he's pretty cool. Cooler than anyone else in my family. He loves his career and gets excited over every little thing he finds. It's why I came here with him. He saw that I was driving my parents crazy and offered to bring me along with him as an assistant for the summer. Heh, I didn't even have much time to decide. My parents practically packed my bags and threw me into the car the moment he offered."

I chuckled. "You must be an angel at home."

"Oh, they _love_ me," he said, his voice dripping in sarcasm. "I was pretty excited to come here. I was kind of hoping I would love archeology like my uncle does. Turns out there's a lot more going on behind the scenes I didn't know about. Bureaucracy stuff, you know? I don't think I could stand dealing with it all. I just want something like what my uncle has. Something to make me feel whole."

His shoulders sagged before he turned to his bag to dig out a water bottle. "Sorry to get deep on you there. I have friends at home I message but they're busy with their summer exams. I haven't had anyone to talk to for a while."

"It's uncle seems cool. I'd love to meet an archaeologist who works in Egypt."

"I can introduce you if you like. He's working at Cairo University. He may know someone that can help you with the Nile thing."

"Sure, we should do that. Oh, do you have a contact? I don't have a cell phone right now with all the traveling, but I have an email."

"Yeah, hold on. I have a notepad in here."

I stowed away his email in my pocket while he saved mine to his phone. It was a bit exhilarating, actually. It's been a long time since I've had another human I could talk to. I had started to notice it in Las Vegas, but I've grown a bit lonely. Sure I'm with Anubis and now Horus all the time but they're so different from me. I couldn't talk to them the same way as I could with other humans. And I think Jordan was a bit lonely too. This was a good chance for the both of us.

"I'll be here for another week before going back to London. How long will you be here?"

"I'm not sure. We're kind of off course right now. But we plan on going to London in probably a few weeks."

"Sweet. We can hang then too."

As we were walking back we passed by a small park. I let Paws off his leash so he could make laps around the palm trees while we stuck to the sidewalk. The day was still hot but a breeze was pushing in from the east. I had to pull my hair into a ponytail to keep it from smacking in my face. When we reached the end of the park I called Paws over and put the leash back on him.

The whole way back Jordan was ecstatically planning things for us to do. He explained some of the better parts of Cairo we could visit while also naming some of the places we couldn't visit. Jordan had gotten himself kicked out of a number of places. He wasn't specific about how he managed to pull that off.

My mind was fluttering with excitement to visit these places with Jordan. I had expected to see them with Anubis, but this was his old home. It couldn't measure up to how he remembered it. Seeing everything through human eyes would make the visit more enjoyable.

As we turned onto the street that would lead us to our meeting spot, Jordan asked, "So how do you plan on know what's going on at the bottom of the river? It sounds like you would need some impressive tech to find out anything."

"My friends will know how. We've actually had to check a river for something before. We went out on a boat and… oh no."

"Is something the matter?"

"Amun, that ass, ugh…"

"I'm sorry. I didn't catch that…"

I sank my head into the palms of my hands. So this was what he was talking about back at the hospital in China. He wants me to throw myself into the next river I happen to be in. And here it turns out there's something in the Nile for us to find. What does he expect me to do? Swim to the bottom of the Nile without drowning so I can find it myself?

"Umm, are you going to be okay?" Jordan asked with concern.

"I'm fine, I just remembered something I wish I hadn't."

"Care to enlighten me?"

"It's just," I stumbled with my words. I held out my hands like I could hold in them the absurdity that is Amun in my grasp. "It's this guy I know. He's so irritating. He likes to show up, leave me vague and bizarre messages and disappear again. But then his messages end up making sense or coming true later like he can predict the future or something. I wish he could just be clear the first time, but no. I have to figure things out his way."

Jordan gave an unconvincing smile. "I wouldn't put too much stock in those kinds of people. Sounds like a phony fortune teller to me."

"No, I think he knows what he's doing."

"I'm certain he does, but it's just a facade. He's vague 'cause he doesn't know any details but knows you'll fill those in for him. He ends up seeming more mystical than he actually is."

I thought about it, but it didn't seem probable. He did give specific details at times, like directing me to the hard drives in Khonsu's casino.

Jordan continued, "It's really not hard to learn how to fool people. Anyone can do it. For instance," he pulled out his cards again and held one up for me to see. "I can do so with these cards." He put the card back into the middle like he did before. "If I want to hide something, I just have to make you look somewhere else. So I shuffle the cards in the most distracting way possible."

He shuffled the cards with precision like he had before, watching me from the corner of his eye. He seemed to be waiting for a response.

"So what are you hiding?" I asked.

"That," he exclaimed while pointing to me, "is exactly what you should be asking." He flipped over the hand he pointed to me with and revealed the card he had pulled before. I hadn't noticed until now that he was wearing a ring. The corner of the card was tucked under the ring holding it securely in his palm.

"I thought magicians aren't supposed to reveal their secrets?"

"It's not a secret. You can look it up on youtube like I did. I don't claim to be a magician anyway. I just do it for fun." He stacked the cards back in place and put them away. "It's handy though. I'm pretty good at spotting when someone's trying to use distractions to con me. Like those con artists in the tourist districts. They're nothing but thieves. That guy you know sounds like a con too. Unless he's just having fun messing with you."

"He does seem to enjoy himself. I'll keep that in mind." Jordan meant well, but he had no way of knowing I was dealing with gods. And I already knew Amun was hiding something from me. That's how he works. The hard part was figuring out what it was, and Amun has made it clear he wouldn't hand me the answers himself.

We were close to the roundabout. The traffic had died down some, not that it made the prospect of crossing the street any better. Just that people were driving faster without any regard for pedestrians.

We were just about to play frogger with the street cars when we saw a giant jet of water shoot up from the river. The water splashed onto the bridge nearby. Cars honked, some swerved while others came to a stop. It was enough to bring everything to a halt.

"Blimey, what was that?" Jordan exclaimed in surprise.

"A boat maybe?"

Some policemen started to weave through the traffic toward the bridge. The whole street was filled with honks and some people shouting out their car windows. Even Paws was adding to the noise, barking at the cars while pulling on the leash.

"I'll email you later, Jordan. I'm gonna go see what's going on."

I started to leave but Jordan caught my hand, holding me back.

"Hey, you don't know if it's dangerous over there. Just let the fuzz handle it."

"My friends might be over there." As I said it, the leash slipped through my fingers. Paws bolted out into traffic, but since everything was at a stand still he was able to easily weave between the cars. "I have to go! Thanks for your help! See ya!" I quickly dashed out after Paws.

"Cheers then," I faintly heard Jordan behind me.

I zigzagged between the narrow gaps between each vehicle. I ran through the roundabout almost trampling the flowers in my hurry. Once I reached the sidewalk again I jumped up the steps. The police were trying to redirect traffic. One car had stopped in the road diagonally stopping traffic on both sides. The cars around it had gridlocked him in place. The police were trying to get the other vehicles to back up so they could free the stuck car.

At least there was no emergency, unless you count a soaking wet Horus cursing as he rung out his shirt. He was on the side where the jet of water had shot up from, so he must have taken the full brunt when the water dropped. Paws was with him as well, sticking his head through the railing looking down at the river.

"You okay, Horus?" I asked as I approached.

"I'm not used to him getting pissed off! If he could just shut up for two seconds…!"

It was pretty easy to guess who he was referring to. "Where is Anubis anyway?"

"In the river."

I stared at him, baffled. "What's he doing in the river?"

"I pushed him into it," he stated matter of factly.

I slapped a hand to my forehead. "Horus, you can't throw someone over a bridge and expect them to not get angry."

Horus pulled his shirt back on, though it was still damp and clung to his body. It didn't look comfortable. "Oh, he was angry before I threw them in. I figured it was the best way to break up the fight."

"What fight? Was it with a human? Please don't tell me you threw a human into the river with him."

"Please, I'm not Hapi! No, it was our cousin. He was being a pest and then Anubis started arguing with him. They looked like they were about to bite each other's throats so I intervened. Now they're swimming with the crocodiles."

"Horus, really…" I looked over the guardrail. To my left there was a small island dividing the river in two. I could see someone with long black hair climbing up one of the makeshift ladders with Anubis below him. The person then planted a foot on Anubis' head and kicked him back into the water.

"I'm sure they'll get along now," I dribbled in sarcasm.

"I see the plan was a success then," Horus responded not picking up the hint. Paws started running across the bridge to the island.

"Come on, Horus. You started it," I said grabbing his arm.

"Me? Those two are the ones who started it!"

I dragged Horus along the bridge. We took some stairs that led to the side of the island. I could see one of them in the distance darkening the path from the water dripping off of them. Without warning a strong gust of wind blew again and nearly knocked me off my feet. Horus steadied me from behind.

"Jeez, the wind is terrible here."

"You should complain to him about it," Horus replied pointing to the person ahead.

As Anubis finally pulled himself onto land, the other god stood upright combing his now dry hair through his fingers. He had a sharp look, wearing a glimmering silver button up shirt over a black tank and a gold chain necklace. He wore a lot of gold jewelry, in fact, including many bracelets and a nose earring. His black hair covered most of his back, but from the front you could tell that the hair underneath was golden blonde.

Anubis didn't bother trying to dry himself. He saw Horus and yelled, "Why did you do that?!"

"Hey, you got me wet too. Now we're even."

"Not with me," the stranger pitched in. "Neither of you have any business being here."

"This is my country," Horus proclaimed.

"That hasn't been true for many millennia. Go! Don't bother with this place."

Anubis snarled, "Stop obstructing us! You have been blocking my way for years for no reason!"

"I don't want to hear that from you," the stranger shouted sternly. He straightened himself and said with calm authority, "You sullied my artifacts. This is fair punishment."

"You are being reckless! You could have gotten my companions killed with your-"

"Anubis," I butted in, pulling at his shoulder. He jumped and sharply pulled away but luckily Horus stepped in and pulled him back with more force.

"Come now, Anubis," Horus consoled. "Lets not shout."

"Do not side with-"

"Anubis!" I cut him off pressing a finger to his lips. "Shush!" My gesture seemed to surprise him. His eyes were wide but he didn't try and start a fight again.

"Who is this girl? Is there a reason you have mortals with you?" The other man regarded me with his arms crossed.

I faced him, suddenly feeling butterflies in my stomach. "I'm Nakia. I'm friends of theirs. I was wondering, are you the lead guitarist of Flightrisk?"

He raised an eyebrow with a satisfied smile stretching across his face. "You know my music. Are you a fan of mine?"

"Well, my friend is a bigger fan than me, but we've both been to your concerts and I have all your albums. I listen to them all the time and they're really my favorite and-"

"What are you two talking about?" Anubis watched us in confusion as Mister I-push-people-off-bridges was rolling his eyes at me.

"He's Donovan Sab! He's in a really famous band called Flightrisk! He writes most of their music and is super talented and… is a god apparently."

"At least someone here appreciates what I do," Donovan said.

Horus laughed. "The humans call you Dinosaur Sab?"

"It's pronounced Donovan. You could start calling me that if you wish."

"Nah, that's way too hard to pronounce. Duamutef is easier."

"Wait, _this_ is Duamutef?" I was shocked. Duamutef is the God of the East that has been forcing us to never travel in his direction. When I had to fly Anubis east to save his life, we were punished. He starved our stomachs. There is a special kind of pain that comes from having a depleted stomach and it's not one I will forget for a long time.

In all honesty, I had a hard time remembering his name. That was until Anubis regained his anger. Before Anubis spoke of him with apathy, but his true feelings showed through. He complained about him. A lot. He had probably been angry with him all along but could only now express it. So at times he would have one of his outbursts and curse Duamutef's name. I became familiar with it but it was overwhelming. So at times I would escape, drown out the noise with headphones and my favorite music. I had no idea the band I was blocking Anubis with was made by the same god he was outraged with.

"Yes, he is Duamutef," Anubis answered me. "He is the one who put your life at risk out of sheer pettiness."

"I have done no such thing," Duamutef retorted.

"You starved her and my dog! They are mortal! They can't survive without sustenance!"

"If they died it would be because of your poor decisions."

"I was unconscious!"

"Do I need to throw you two in the Nile again," Horus intervened breaking them apart. They were really going at it, leaning towards each other as they shouted. It felt like they would attack each other at any moment.

"There is really no need for you to stay anyhow, former pharaoh. I will not allow any of you to cross east of the river. You should leave." At this Horus laughed at Duamutef. He looked offended at Horus' raucous. "Why do you laugh?"

Horus outstretched his arms. "Look at where we are. We've already crossed the bridge, thanks to you. You can always trust Duamutef to swim east to the shore."

Duatmutef looked furious, though more collected than with his rage towards Anubis. Horus didn't seem to mind. As usual he was always proud of himself when he got his way.

"Why did you two want to cross the bridge anyway?" I asked.

"We're following rumors Horus heard," Anubis said.

"Yeah, hear this, Nakia," Horus said throwing an arm around my shoulder. His wet shirt was icy cold against my arm. "There have been sightings near the Nile of a beastly god. No one can get close to the river without having him snarl and chase them away."

"Hey," Duamutef interjected.

Horus ignored him. "They say he has the head of a deathly monster and eats the carcasses of the fallen."

"That's discrimination."

"I agree...," Anubis added reluctantly.

"He is known for starting sandstorms, creating famine, starvation, and has huge mommy issues."

"That is enough," Duamutef said sternly. He looked like he was ready to hit Horus.

"I can't help what people say about you. They're angry that you're blocking their passage. But I can help. Many of the gods take favor to me. I can give a good word for you if you tell us what's happening with the Nile."

"There isn't much to tell. The humans have blocked the river and refuse to fill it. If you want to restore the river start with them."

"That's a lie," I protested.

"I have been in human society for a long time. I know the situation better than anyone. It's your species that caused this."

I felt a flare of anger, but I didn't want to elevate the already high emotions. I firmly stated, "I have already talked with the humans in this area. When they noticed the Nile's water level decreasing, they opened the water reserves to fill the river. But it didn't do anything. They checked satellite imaging but there was no where the water could be spilling out from. The water is vanishing, and humans aren't responsible for it."

There was a tense silence that followed and I suddenly felt self-conscious. Horus broke the silence with a revering whistle. "You just got stood up by a human, Duamutef."

Duamutef silently stared down at me with a piercing glare. I squirmed in place. "I still like your music though. Just… yeah."

"Why do you still flatter him?" Anubis asked accusingly.

"I can still like his music even if I disagree with him."

"So what's making the water disappear, hmm?" Horus challenged.

Duamutef still looked furious but he kept his voice level. "I stand by what I said. The humans merely haven't discovered their own mistake."

"So say if we go into the river and investigate ourselves we won't find anything, right?"

"It would be a waste of time," Duamutef said, his voice dropping an octave.

"It's our time to waste," Horus countered.

"I won't allow it."

"Oh, please. How many times have I overpowered you? I'll just tie you up and drag you along with us? How about that?"

Duamutef's firm stance dissolved. He looked… scared. Terrified even. He took a step back. He was trying to keep his composure but it looked difficult. Was he really that terrified of Horus?

Beside me I felt a weight against my shoulder and a hand grab my arm. I looked over at Anubis who was now leaning against me. His earlier anger was gone. He had the blank stare I hadn't seen in awhile. While his face was lax without emotion his body was tense. He held a strong grip on me so I knew he wasn't completely gone. I was suddenly worried he might end up collapsing.

"What are you so afraid of, Duamutef?" Horus asked. His voice was no longer jeering. His tone was gentle and he seemed genuinely concerned.

"If I tell you… If I tell you will you promise to leave?" Duamutef pleaded.

"No, but you should tell us anyway."

"Shit…" Duamutef turned his back on us, pacing away. He seemed to be under a lot of pressure as he compulsively ran his fingers through his hair. It was worrisome to watch, but I was also distracted by Anubis still holding on to me. I was debating if I should take him and go before he got any worse.

Duamutef turned back to us, but he didn't seem to have decided on anything. Instead he jabbed a finger towards Anubis snarling, "You put me in this mess, you know that? This is all. Your. Fault."

Anubis looked up at him, dazed. "What did I do?"

"You know what you did."

"Stop changing the subject, cousin," Horus raised his voice. "Are you going to tell us what you know or do we have to go for a swim instead?" He kept his eyes on him but whispered to me, "Is he alright?"

"I think he might fall over."

"I am fine," Anubis said. He let go of me. He seemed steady but still looked unwell. He walked behind us and sat on a bench nearby, Paws following after him. Duamutef watched him go but didn't say anything.

"Well, Duamutef," Horus goaded.

Horus had backed him into a corner he couldn't get out. Grudgingly, he finally gave in. "It's Nun. The old man is sulking at the bottom of the river and won't let anyone near."

"Oh." Horus' demeanor changed. He was much more serious, almost grave. "Why is he upset?"

Duamutef shrugged. "I don't know. He refuses to talk to anyone. He told me he wanted to be left alone and that was all. Some other gods thought they could get through to him... He swept them into his waters."

"And that's why you're scaring everyone away?"

"It's all I can do. But if you want to go into the river and get swept away too, be my guest.," Duamutef said with a sinister tone.

"Who is Nun?" I asked. Osiris seemed to be right about a water deity being involved. Other than that, I knew nothing about this god.

"He is the God of the Primordial Waters," Horus answered.

"Primordial waters?"

"The water that existed before anything existed. The waters from which everything came into existence," he looked at me with severe eyes. "All of us were made from those waters. And we can all return to them if Nun so wishes."

"So the gods that tried to help him…?"

"They no longer exist."

I heavy sinking feeling fell into my gut. I looked into the river. The surface was smooth and calm, but it was more dangerous than I could have imagined. And Horus had knocked both Anubis and Duamutef in there. He could have accidentally erased them both from this world. And if I fell into the river…

"What will you do, Horus?" Duamutef asked.

"We'll have to talk to Nun. What else?"

"Do you wish for a fate worse than death? Crazy…"

"If Nun has the gall to wipe both the sons of Osiris from the world, there isn't much hope for any of us." Horus looked over at the river with a forlorn expression. "Besides, without the floods my father cannot be reborn. He'll stay trapped in the duat until we resolve this."

Duamutef sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose in irritation. "I can't stop you from going to Nun, but don't expect me to come with. I don't have a death wish."

"If I brought you with I would have to get a muzzle for you," Horus teased returning to his lighthearted self.

They continued to bicker, but seeing how we got what we needed from Duamutef, I broke away to check on Anubis. His face was hidden behind his hand as he leaned on the armrest seemingly spent. Paws was liberally licking the side of his face but Anubis didn't care at all. When I came to sit down, Paws moved over so I could take a seat next to Anubis. Paws stretched out on my lap. I scratched his ears as I asked, "How are you feeling, Anubis?"

"I will live."

"What happened?"

Anubis slightly shook his head. He didn't want to talk about it.

"Did you hear what Duamutef said?"

Nod.

"Will you be going with Horus then?"

Pause. Another nod.

"Thought so."

"You smell bad."

"Huh?" I whipped my head over, my eyes burning into him. He tilted his head to look at me. He wasn't emotionless but he had an aura of melancholy.

"I had not noticed until now, but you have a foul odor."

"I've been walking around all day in the heat! I can't help it if I smell bad! Paws, do you think I smell bad?"

Paws gave a strangled whimper. He carefully slinked off my lap and trotted away from me.

"Oh, come on!"

"It is not your fault. This place has always smelled like death. We shouldn't linger here." As Anubis said this, Horus came running by. Far behind I could see Duamutef leaving.

"I'm gonna get us a boat," Horus shouted.

"Take Paws with you," Anubis yelled back.

"Ugh, fine! Don't you dare snap at my ankles, dog!" Horus ran off with Paws following close behind.

"You should go back as well," Anubis said as he stood.

"I'm coming with you."

"It's dangerous. I would rather you wait where it's safe."

I put a hand on his shoulder. "I can't follow you in the water without drowning, but I can keep watch on the boat. I'm your eyes, Anubis. Let me look out for you."

"...Alright." He didn't look convinced, but he didn't fight me over it.

I felt… guilty. I already knew that Anubis was having issues with putting me close to harms way, especially after I had run off on him in the duat. But I needed to follow this to the end and see where it leads me. If anything, if the situation went south I would rather have Horus and Anubis nearby.

* * *

Horus had haggled with a local for their boat. While Horus said he had boats of his own he didn't want to hassle with bringing them here and figuring out how to lower them into the river. And our usual ride… apparently it was too precious to ride in the water. At least the boat we were using had a motor so we could cover a lot of ground… water.

"How will we know when we find him?" I asked over the roar of the boat.

"We'll be able to sense him," Anubis said.

"Oh, we sure will. As soon as a sense of doom hangs over us, we'll know," Horus said with a shiver. "Why did it have to be Nun? Why couldn't it be Set? I owe the guy a good beating. I'd even take Apep over getting disappeared."

"Apep isn't someone to joke about," Anubis scolded.

"I'm not joking. I have goosebumps. Look!"

I rolled my eyes and tuned out their banter. I looked over the boat's edge at the ripples of water fleeting by. I didn't want to do this. Why did Amun have to put me up to this? What would he do if I just ignored his request? Somehow, knowing how unpredictable he acted, the unknown was a much more terrifying prospect.

"We should be there in a few minutes," Anubis said translating whatever Paws had barked.

I couldn't put it off much longer. I had to go into the water before we reached Nun or it would be more dangerous for me. Behind my back I grabbed the anchor attached to the rope I was sitting on. Even if I had to fall in the water, I could at least make it look like an accident.

At the right moment, Paws hit a rift in the water large enough to shake the boat. I quickly let the anchor drop off the side of the boat. Turns out I didn't have to pretend to fall overboard. As the rope chased after the anchor a loop caught my ankle. My body was suddenly slammed into the boats rim before I was drug into the waters.

_Shit! Shit! Shit!_

I clawed at my ankle trying to get a grip on the rope. The water was so cold it stabbed at all my senses. Panic was the only feeling that stayed with me as I sank deeper and deeper into darkness.


	24. Cliffs Notes on Worshiping Gods

**_Chapter 24: Cliffs Notes on Worshiping Gods_ **

I cannot recall how I managed to slip the rope off my ankle. My mind was in a panic. I tugged at the rope senselessly desperate to get it off me and somehow it managed to slip off out of luck. By then I had already sunk deep into the water’s depths. It was dark. I didn’t know where to swim. My lungs were burning for breathe.

I clawed at the water trying to find a way out. The rope had disappeared so I couldn’t follow it to the surface. My mind was filled with terror with the mantra ‘I don’t want to die!’ repeating in my head. At last a glimmer of light. The sun was just visible through the lapsing waves. My fear dissipated slightly enough for me to remember how to swim properly. I propelled myself upward and broke out into sweet air.

My first moments out of the water I could do nothing but savor the feeling of being able to breathe. Once my gulping gasps steadied into an even rhythm I searched around me for our boat. But it wasn’t anywhere. In fact everything around me was unfamiliar. The body of water I was in was large and round, not like the river that stretched in a line through the heart of Cairo. There were no skyscrapers. In the distance I could see, were they hills? Or maybe plateaus? 

‘Did I get swept down the river…?’ I muttered to myself. My fall into the waters had been disorienting enough. I didn’t know where I was. All I could do was swim to land.

Towering me ahead was a large hill, the tallest standing landmark in the area. At first glance it looked like a pile of rubble, but looking closer I could see hints of walls and windows peeking from the structure. At the top stood a sliver of a tower that was barely visible. I decided to make my way there. If I could get to the top, I could look around and get an idea of where I was.

There was no shoreline, but there probably was one here not too long ago. I trudged through knee deep water past trees and shabby houses in slightly better condition than the ruins nearby. The people here were trying to deal with the flooding as best they could. The roofs of their homes had lines of clothes stretched out to dry. Boats were either filled and strapped to the sides of the houses or they were rowing down what had once been streets.

It was slow moving and my calves were aching. My shoes were certainly ruined at this point. It wasn’t until I made it to the base of the hill that I was finally able to get out of the water. I stretched out on the ground for a few minutes to give my legs a break. Once I was ready, I started my way up to the ruins.

The path ahead was blocked off with tape. I saw a sign that read “TEMPLE OF THE ORACLE: Dedicated to the cult of Amun ‘Lord of Counsels.’” I guess I now know how I ended up here. ‘Lord of Counsels’ huh? What does that even mean? Sounds vague, but I suppose that suits him.

The whole place felt like a maze. There were many buildings, many crumbled away. Some places only had winding walls. I would take a path that I thought would take me to the tower and meet a dead end. I was so tired and frustrated. I started squeezing through the window-like holes instead of retracing my steps. It did the trick. I happened on a path that zigzagged until it led into the tower.

The inside of the temple was very dark. I didn’t have a flashlight with me so I had to be careful with my steps as I climbed up the winding stairs. There wasn’t much to see inside, partly because I couldn’t see much at all without any light. I reached the top and peered out the small window there. 

In the distance I could see a large lake further away from the one I had come out of. There was another tall hill that also had ruins built at its top. The actual city stretched in the lower lands between them and it was all flooded. Thousands of homes filled with water. I went back around to the other windows but it was no use. There was no Nile here. How could there be when the Nile was losing water, not flooding everything?

“Where am I then…” Turned out coming here didn’t tell me much. I had nothing on me, not a cell phone or anything, that could tell me where this place was. With no other options, I shouted into the empty tower, “Amun! I know you’re here! Show yourself already!”

I waited but only silence answered me. I growled in frustration and kicked at the wall. It didn’t take much for my foot to leave a mark in the stone. The rock was in poor condition. It was then I noticed that there were many more marks along the entire wall. Some parts were smoldered and black. A few paces down I even noticed the head of an arrow lodged into the siding. The tower wasn’t a temple; it was a lookout tower for battle.

I slumped down the stairs, running a hand along the bumps of the stone bricks. My shoes were squeaking and my feet were freezing. I wanted to get rid of them, but I didn’t want to walk on the gravel barefoot. I followed the path that snaked out of the tower. There wasn’t anything to find here. I would be better off going into town and finding out where I am.

Going back the way I came, I passed another building when something caught my eye. Leading to the entrance of the doorway were pieces of paper lined in two rows creating a path. I thought it was a strange thing to be here, and for them to be so perfectly aligned as they were. Just then, a gust of wind suddenly flowed from behind me. The papers started to flip, two by two, until the wind reached the temple’s entrance. They settled to the ground neatly in their place.

I walked to the path to take a closer look at the papers. Not all of them had been flipped, but the ones that were had messages written on them. It looked like all of them were questions. Many of them were vague and even bizarre without any context. I read ones that asked ‘Should I admit my crime?’ ‘Does the first journey count?’ ‘Will the flowers bleed?’ ‘Did he do this to find a book?’

As I skimmed through them the names of gods started to pop out. I saw some that asked about events that have already happened. ‘Should Bastet be the next Eye of Ra?’ ‘Will Isis’ child one day rule Egypt?’ ‘Will the pieces of Osiris be gathered?’ 

Some of them stuck with me. Questions I weren’t sure were about the past or present but felt related to our current situation, or things I’ve experienced. ‘Did Nephthys wish for this?’ I used to think she did, but I’m not so certain anymore. ‘Will Set’s plan succeed?’ It better not. “Will the magician kill his foe?’ Anubis did promise to bring that one magician’s arch enemy to him, so I’m guessing he will.

But for as many scraps of paper that were flipped over, there were just as many that rested blank on the ground. I was curious if there was anything written on them too. I picked one up and my stomach turned. ‘Will Anubis kill himself?’ I quickly put it back down, as though hiding it’s message will make it cease to be. I didn’t want to read any more of the slips. I picked up my pace until I entered the building. 

Although I called it a building, it didn’t feel like one without a roof. The stone walls were a skeleton of the temple that used to be here. On the walls were engravings that depicted gods in the classic Egyptian form. Not all of it was visible as parts of the wall had crumbled away long ago. I glanced over them until walking into the next room.

Each room was much of the same. The room at the end had a table that had a huge pile of food on it. Grapes, oranges, tomatoes, wine, even grilled meats were stacked on each other. There were candles burning and some lavish plates stacked on the table. It was peculiar. This area was tapped off and not allowing quests. There’s no reason for someone to leave this much food here. 

To the left was one final room. At its centerpiece was a statue sitting on a throne. The body was of a bare chested man wearing a simple linen skirt. The head of the statue was of a sheep or ram. There were some traces of details carved into it but time had eroded much of it away. Some places were chipped away and one of the arms was missing.

I jumped when a voice boomed around the room. “Are you just going to stand there?” The voice asked me.

I crossed my arms. “What else am I supposed to do?”

“This is a holy shrine built to honor the god, Amun. A place of worship. Come to the statue.”

I eyed the statue skeptically. I couldn’t tell where the voice was coming from. It bounced off all the walls making it feel like it was everywhere. At least the statue wasn’t talking from what I could tell, but I was sure Amun must be here somewhere. I let out a sigh and stopped in front of a low bench just in front of the statue.

“Kneel and bow your head.” I did as the voice said. “Now say a prayer or hymn to the god.”

“I don’t know anything like that. I’ve never even been to a church before.”

“All prayers and hymns were first made up by someone. Just say what’s in your heart.”

I gave an incredulous glance up at the statue, as though I could roll my eyes at Amun by looking at it. I bowed my head and stammered out what was the best prayer I could come up with. “Oh Amun… um, god of hidden truths and… sheep. Uh, blessed is thy…”

“That doesn’t sound like it’s from the heart,” the voice chided.

“You’re a jerk who needs to learn how to respect people’s personal space.”

“You know, other gods have started famines for less insulting words. It doesn’t have to be flowery. Just say one thing to show gratitude.”

I lowered my head and closed my eyes. I still had a lot of conflicting emotions. He has irritated me since he first showed up and always seems to push himself into my affairs. I don’t know his motives, and a lot of the time it feels like he just likes messing with me. These things seemed to cloud whatever good things I thought of Amun, but I tried to tug them out of the sticky web of emotions.

“You’ve given me some good advice,” I said, my voice echoed until the wind took the sound away. “When I follow your advice it seems to pay off, and when I don’t I regret it later… I can’t say I trust you. I don’t understand what you’re trying to do by interfering with me and Anubis. But I do feel like you’re trying to help, in your own weird way. So, I guess I’ll give you a chance.”

“... thank you.”

I took that as a cue that I did a satisfactory job. I got up from my knees and wiped off the dirt on my pants

“Now you may bring me food as an offering. I’m hungry so I hope you can pick something I will like.”

I went over to the other room and grabbed one of the plates. There was too much to look through so I just started to pile on what was close to me. An apple, some nuts… should I bring wine? I feel like that’s a religious sort of offering, right? It was when I added a steak to the pile that the voice scolded me.

“Cows are considered a holy animal. Killing the animal for it’s meat is not an acceptable offering.”

Great, I thought to myself. How many times had I made steak for Anubis during our travels? He never said a word to me, but I’ll have to ask him about it later. I started to pick up a different piece of meat and again he admonished me. “I’m a ram god and you’re going to offer me ram meat? How rude.”

“Stop being so picky,” I growled. I wasn’t even sure what everything here was. I picked up some white meat I assumed was chicken and took the plate back to the statue. I dropped it down on the bench and placed my hands to my hips waiting for his next order.

“You forgot the candles.”

“Of course I did…” I went back and picked up two of the candelabras. I placed them on either side of the bench and gestured to the food. “There! Bon appetite.”

“No, you have to kneel and lower your head again after offering the food.”

I sighed, but continued to do as he said. Why was I even doing this? I should be with my friends trying to figure out how we can get Osiris back. I stared at the ground for a moment watching the shadows bounce and dance lightly from the firelight. 

When I looked back up again the statue was gone. Instead the throne held a living god in its seat. He wore the same apparel, but all those faded details were now actualized with intricate threading, beadery, and an elegant headpiece. The god still looked as I remembered, his features so pale his complexion looked almost slightly blue with the golden stones and light around him. The one thing that was different was the ram horns and ears the statue had was now crowned on his head.

“Nice horns,” I complimented.

Amun smiled. “Thanks.”

“So why am I here? Wherever here is…”

“This is the Siwa Oasis. It’s in eastern Egypt near the border to Libya.”

“So I’m nowhere near the Nile?”

“That’s right. It’s far away from all the other god’s shrines. That’s why it’s my favorite.” Amun smiled looking into the distance. “This place used to be quite well known. I got a lot of visitors from other lands wanting to hear my prophecies; know their fate. Many demigods wrote about my temple, like Perseus and Alexander the Great. Now people only care to come here on vacation, plunder for treasure, or spook themselves with stories of Christians sneaking here to practice witchcraft.”

“To be fair, the place is a bit rundown.”

“And it’ll get worse,” Amun straightened in his seat. “Nun didn’t make the water in the Nile vanish. He displaced it. The water will keep rising here. Confronting Nun will restore the Nile but it will also save my temple from being eroded away.”

“We’re trying to find him. We probably would have already if I hadn’t made this promise to jump into the river. I’m sure everyone is looking for me now, and why? Why bring me here to ask me to do something I was going to do anyway?”

Amun looked up at the sky in thought, and a second later shrugged. I don’t know why I ever said anything nice about him. He is still absolutely infuriating.

“Isn’t my shrine cool, though? Back in the day I used to always have a priestess and she would aid me in answering the pleads of those who came here. Like the slips of parchment you saw. They would ask me about their future and I would give them a holy yes or no.”

I arched an eyebrow. “A  _ holy _ yes or no?”

“Yeah, cause it has more meaning if I say it,” he leaned forward burrowing in my eyes. “Perhaps you have some new theories you want to test? If there was any place to ask about them it would be here.”

Amun likes to probe me on my ideas. Maybe he’s hoping I’ll have some revelation and solve everything shouting “Eureka!” But I have a lot of pieces that don’t seem to fit together. A lot of suspicions with no bases. I can’t come up with good theories, and when I think I’m onto something, Amun stamps ‘wrong’ on my forehead and wishes me luck next time. Whatever expectations he has, he’s placed them on the wrong person.

But something about this temple stood out to me, and it made me want to ask him something. “Instead of theories, can I run a prophecy by you?”

“A prophecy?”

“You’re a god who tells prophecies, right? So maybe you know this one. I heard it from these sphynx in the  _ duat _ , at least I think I did. It was weird. Anyway it mentioned something about flower petals, a storm, and it mentioned a dog several times which I’m sure is about Anubis and-”

“Nakia.”

I had gotten so wrapped in trying to remember everything that I tumbled over my words when Amun interrupted me. I closed my mouth looking to him questioningly.

“As a prophetic god my best advice to you is to not chase after prophecies.”

“Why not?” I argued. “I must have heard it for a reason. If I had some help figuring it out it could help me save Anubis.”

“Prophecies are best served to those who don’t hear them.”

“What does that even mean? If they tell you the future, why not use them to your advantage?”

Amun was very solemn, and for once he seemed very old to me. He sat in silence, regarding me. Then his voice filled the temple walls.

“I once knew a man who chased after prophecies. A man who lost his purpose and tried to find a new one. He thought he understood their meanings. He thought they were about him. But they never were. Instead he doomed the world. He gave up on himself and casted his life away. The prophecies toyed with him and everyone lost in the end.”

Amun looked into his hand. He held it cupped as though it were holding something. “I champion those who seek knowledge themselves. Who use their own eyes to find the truth. If I gave a prophecy to someone who begged me toanswer all their questions for them, I probably didn’t have their best interests at heart.” He looked up at me, his silver eyes piercing into my soul. “So, do you want me to tell you about prophecies?”

“... I think I’ll pass."

The temperature had to be in the 100s right now but I felt cold to my core. Amun has jested before that I was mean and I hurt his feelings, but I think this was the first time I struck a nerve with him. His gaze was terrifying, like he could tear my future apart with the simplest of gestures if he decided I wasn’t worth his time. Just minutes before I was berating him and now I just wanted to get out of this alive.

With a sigh he seemed to drop the serious attitude, but was still very aloof. I was so used to him being sly, teasing me and being Mr. Mysterious that this side of him didn’t match him at all. He seemed more like a powerful god, and knowing him he would probably take that as an insult.

“When you were outside my temple I’m sure you saw the sign out front. The one that names me the Lord of Counsels.”

“Yeah, but what does that make you? The god of therapy?”

“It means I’m a good guide. I steer people in the right direction. That’s why I give humans advice. That’s why I am advising you now.” He tilted his head as he held me in his sights. “But whether your take my word is your choice. I can’t make you do as I wish. But I know I can help you. And I promise you my guidance really will help you save Anubis.”

He stood from his throne. We were the same height but it felt as though he was towering over me. “Choose your own path, Nakia. Let your eyes guide you, because the magic they hold is powerful. Keep the gods in your prayers and memories and you will save him. That is my holy word.”

His cheek tugged into a smile at that last bit. But the moment he finished speaking the temple suddenly burst with a flood of water. The current was over my head in seconds and they took me away just as I had arrived.


	25. Monsters Lurk in the Water

**_Chapter 25: Monsters Lurk in the Water_ **

With nothing dragging me down this time, I was able to reach the water’s surface without any struggle. I spit out the water in my mouth. It wasn’t salty, but it still didn’t tasted terrible. My surroundings had changed once again. Amun’s temple was gone as well as the city that surrounded it. Instead I saw cement walls hugging each side of the water. Hints of buildings poked from their tops. I was in the Nile again, and Cairo was hopefully the city that was above me.

I looked around but there wasn’t a hint of a boat near me, not even a ferry or cargo ship I could wave to for help. There were no ladders. The walls holding in the river weren’t made to be climbed down this deep. Unless someone found me, I was trapped.

“HEY!” I shouted but my voice couldn’t reach anyone. I was wading in place, my legs already aching. The hike to Amun’s temple had already taken a toll, and I didn’t want to nearly drown twice today. If I started swimming I would only tire myself faster. Frustration and hopelessness boiled in me as I could only wait. Wait and hope that someone would find me.

“Anubis, you are looking for me, right?” I whined. I could faintly hear the sounds of the city above the walls. Car horns blared, some generic pop music played, voices of people murmured as a park fountain bubbled with water… No, that wasn’t coming from above me.

I turned around to see two large, yellow eyes watching me from just above the water. I froze, holding my breathe. I tried not to move. I wanted to freeze my whole body, but I had to keep moving to stay afloat. The eyes kept watching and slowly became bigger and bigger. My heart raced. And then I panicked. It was coming for me and I had to get away.

The moment I started kicking away the crocodile rushed at me. I turned my back. I focused on swimming away. Then a pillar of water blocked my path. Another animal, with leather skin and a wide open mouth. I couldn’t think. I didn’t know what it was. All I knew was that I needed to get away or something was going to eat me. I turned right and started swimming under water. I kept pushing my body deeper and deeper. I looked behind me.

They weren’t following me. The light of day made the water shine a murky green. Two black silhouettes blocked the light. They thrashed and chomped at each other, stirring bubbles around them.

I couldn’t watch. I needed air. I didn’t take a big breathe when I swam away. Now my chest was aching. I swam upwards and away. I didn’t want to drown. Please make it!

I took a breath before I reached the surface. Water was in my lungs. I reached the surface and couldn’t breathe. I clawed at my neck dipping up and down in the water. I started beating my own chest and it finally came out. I started to sputter and cough. I knew I was breathing but my brain couldn’t register it. I still felt like I was drowning. I started to spin my body each way trying to find a way out. I knew I couldn’t keep myself above water much longer. I need help. I’m dying. I’m dying!

The creatures were gone, but I didn’t care. I needed a latter, a boat, a lifeguard, something. Instead I found a mouth. It had burst from the water and was lifting me up. Before I could grasp what was happening, it clamped shut, blocking all the light.

“NOOO!” I somehow screamed. I couldn’t think about suffocating. It was there, but now my mind screamed to not be eaten. My foot found a corner to wedge itself in. It was wet, steamy, and smelled like ten week old seafood. I tried to grab onto the teeth but everything was coated in mucous. I used my feet to keep myself in place.

I was sure I was two seconds from death. The creature had me. It only had to swallow, but it didn’t. It didn’t thrash or fight. Its head bobbed up and down as it swam through the river. Like the tide coming into shore, water would come in through the gaps of its teeth but would quickly spill out again. I coughed, sputtered and wheezed. My throat was on fire every time I took a breath, but at least I felt like I was breathing again.

I don’t know how long I stayed in there. It felt like days. My instincts urged me to beat at the crocodile to try and escape, but it’s teeth was everywhere I looked. If it closed its mouth on me it would kill me.

Then everything turned into golden light. I lost the grip I had held onto for so long. My body smacked onto the gritty mud. I was so sore, but I still pulled myself up fumbling to get away.

“Nakia, it’s okay! We’re here.” Horus came into view squeezing my shoulders.

“It wants to… eat me…” I croaked. My lips trembled as I spoke. If it weren’t for Horus’ grip, my whole body would be shaking.

“No, he was just holding you. Like crocodiles carrying their young. He wasn’t going to eat you. You’re safe. Don’t worry.”

It didn’t make sense what he was saying. I had forgotten what the creature holding me was. Behind Horus I could see the massive crocodile sitting still on the shore watching us. My hands latched onto Horus’ arms as I shrunk away from it.

“Why did you go into the river?” said a voice beside me. My body jolted not realizing anyone else was here. Both Anubis and Duamutef were to my right standing over us. Anubis’ eyes were dark, shadowed by the deep creases of his furrowed brow.

“Give her some space, Anubis. She’s frightened,” Horus scolded.

“We’ve been searching for you for over an hour. You could have died!”

“She needs to calm-”

“She needs to tell us why she did it!”

My shoulders throbbed in pain from Horus’ tight grip. He glared at Anubis. “It was just an accident. It’s not her fault she fell into the water.”

“I saw her fall in! She did not have to fall off!”

“She’s human, Anubis! She can’t control everything that happens to her! You need to stop blaming her for what-”

“I am the one who is protecting her, not you! Stay out of this!”

Horus let go of me and in the next moment he was sprinting at Anubis. Horus pounced on him and they both splattered into the mud. I saw Horus take one swing at Anubis before Duamutef  turned my head away. He crouched on the ground in front of me, holding my head to look at him.

“Ignore those idiots. Just hold your hand to my chest and try to breathe like I do.” He held out a hand inviting me to give him mine. I placed a shaky hand in his. He gently placed it near his collarbone where I could feel his chest rising and falling at a much slower pace than mine.

Even if my muscles were spasming too much to match his pace, the deep, slow rhythm calmed me. It wasn’t enough to block out the noises from behind. I could hear them going at each other. I even heard some growling, barks, and the screech of a hawk. My imagination couldn’t grasp what could be happening behind me, so I just focused on trying to breathe right.

Eventually I did slow down to Duamutef’s rhythm, though my breathing still rattled and my throat felt raw. He let go of my hand, asking, “Do you feel better?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry.”

“It’s no worry. Brian has panic attacks all the time.”

“Your drummer?” The image of a guy with a bald head, a long, blonde beard, and a face littered in piercings popped into my head.

“Yes. He has his problems but he’s a good kid. Really talented too.”

I wiped off a tear still sitting on my cheek. “‘Phantom Mind’ is my favorite song just because of the drum solo in it.”

“Is it? We’ll have to play that live for you some time.”

“That would be really cool,” I said sniffling. 

I hadn’t realized the commotion behind me had stopped until Horus came staggering into view. He dramatically pointed at us shouting, “And don’t get any ideas about fighting Anubis! Only I’m allowed to beat him up! You got me?”

Duamutef scoffed. “And what if I did anyway?”

“I’ll fight you too!” Horus boasted raising his fist.

“Pff. I could take you.”

“How about no one fights and someone tells me what’s going on,” I interjected.

Horus’ eyes widened and he looked past us. “Oh yeah, Sobek’s still here. Sobek!” Horus ran past us waving an arm at the giant crocodile.

Since I wasn’t getting any answers from Horus, I asked Duamutef, “Where are we anyway?”

He ran his fingers along his head pulling back his long hair. “We’re north of Cairo, where the river is shallowest. We thought the waters might have swept you here.” He pulled me up with him as he stood. “Lets get out of this mud and see what the Pharaoh of Idiots is doing.”

“But Anubis…” I looked behind me. Anubis was huddled in a ball with his back to me. He had his head down and wasn’t moving. He didn’t look okay. Uninjured, but not okay.

Duamutef pushed hard on my back stearing me away from him. “Let that loser lick his wounds.”

I didn’t have much choice. If he was still angry and had an outburst towards me, I wouldn’t fair well. Besides, I wasn’t sure what to say to him. Instead, we went over to Horus who was petting the giant crocodile like has was a massive labrador. The crocodile even wagged his tail, causing giant splashes in the water. I ducked behind Duamutef as we approached.

“Who’s a good, mostly evil crocodile?” Horus coed.

“What the hell are you doing?” Duamutef rightfully asked.

“Hey, he found Nakia for us. We might as well thank him.”

“That god works for Set.”

Horus shrugged. “Well, sometimes.”

“He nearly bit my arm off!” I added.

“Nakia, he was just carrying you back to us.”

“No, not today.” I stepped in front of Duamutef, closer to Horus. “It was a few months ago when Anubis and I were in the Amazon. He jumped out of river and tried to bite my arm off cause I was holding a canopic jar.”

Horus pulled away from the crocodile. “Is that true, Sobek?”

“Yes,” he said with pride.

“Why?”

“Set said if I get jar I get lots of meat to eat.”

“So you did what he told you?”

“I like meat.”

Horus rubbed a hand over his forehead in disbelief. “So, what, you’re working for Set now?”

Sobek slumped his shoulders, letting his head hang low to the ground. “I no get jar. I no get meat.”

“How tragic,” Duamutef said with sarcasm.

“I was mad. I so mad I eat Set instead.”

“Nice,” Horus exclaimed, clearly approving of this turn of events.

“He taste bad, though. Like sand.”

I raised my voice. “So why did Set want the jar in the first place? Did he say?”

Sobek tilted his head and stayed in that position for quite some time. Finally he said, “Maybe someone offered Set meat?”

“Not everyone is as easy to please as you, big guy,” said Duamutef beside me.

“Hey Sobek,” Horus called. He crouched down to talk to him which was completely unnecessary since Sobek was twice as tall as him. “If you happen to find another jar and bring it to us, I will give twice the amount of meat Set offered you.”

“Meat?”

“Meat.”

“Meat!” The crocodile pounced in the water, dancing in a circle as best it could.

“Why is this my life,” Duamutef rubbed his temples. I think I heard a quiet ‘what idiots’ under his breathe. 

“I find you jar!” And with that declaration the crocodile slithered into the water, completely disappearing from sight.

“Wow,” Duamutef exclaimed. “We are making so much progress getting Nun to flood the river.” He crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow at Horus.

“Setbacks happen.” Horus strode back to us, rubbing his hands as he did. “Man, my knuckles are sore.”

“I didn’t realized Set was targeting us from the beginning,” I said. “We only encountered him recently, but that jar Sobek tried to take was the first one I found.”

“Why would Set come after Anubis all of sudden?”

“Oh, please. Set has been picking fights with just about everyone  _ except _ Anubis for centuries. I say this was a long time coming.” Duamutef jabbed a thumb to the river. “Are we taking the boat back or what? We’re losing daylight.”

“Yeah, we have Nakia. We should get back to Cairo.”

“Good.” Duamutef turned and shouted to the huddled ball that was Anubis. “Hey mutt! We’re going back! Tuck your tail between your legs and lets go!”

Anubis turned his head slightly but didn’t move. Then his form turned into a black mass of sand that fell into a pile on the ground.

“Hmph, what a baby.”

“Let him go back alone. He probably needs some space right now,” Horus reasoned.

I trotted to Horus’ side and asked softly, “Is Anubis going to be okay? You weren’t too hard on him, were you?”

Horus grinned and patted my head. I only realized now that he had a long cut underneath his golden eye. “Don’t worry about it, Nakia. We get into fights all the time. It’s normal brother stuff. I’m just glad you’re alright. I think the reason he got so mad was cause he was scared you were hurt.”

“He... wouldn’t feel that,” I mumbled.

“Well… if he was his usual self that would be why. Trust me.” Horus patted my back and we followed Duamutef’s footprints back to the boat.

* * *

The journey back to Cairo was uncomfortably silent. As soon as we got back and undocked, the tension spilled out.

“That was a whole lot of nothing,” Duamutef complained. “What did we even accomplish today? Nearly killing a human? Wouldn’t that be great for my career if the media found out I was involved.”

Horus climbed up from the river’s edge, hoisting a ring of rope over his shoulder. “So today didn’t go as planned? At sunrise we can go back out there and look for Nun again.” 

“And what? Search the whole river. I’m telling you, Nun doesn’t want to be found. We’re either going to waste our time and find nothing, or we’ll piss him off and he’ll wipe us out.”

Horus threw his hands in the air. “Then what do you suggest we do? My father is stuck in the  _ duat _ , Egypt is without water, but, please, tell us how everything we’re doing is pointless, huh?”

“Hey,” Duamutef jabbed a finger at Horus’ chest, “at least I’ve been protecting the gods from getting washed into the abyss. But, no, you had to come along assuming you knew how to fix everything better than everyone else. I don’t even know why I let you drag me along.”

Horus swatted his hand away. “Then stay home. We don’t need someone to complain the whole time we’re trying to get things done.”

“Oh, I will. But I go back to what worked, which means no gods going into the water. And that. Includes. You.”

“You little…”

“Fine,” I shouted to them. Horus stopped, sharply turning to regard me. “We won’t get in the water.”

“Nakia, you’re not just gonna let him walk-”

“He said it’s dangerous to go into the river, so maybe we should draw him out of the river instead.”

Horus stopped. He folded his arms, clearly in thought, but then scratched his head saying, “Okay, but how can we draw him out?”

I shrugged my shoulders. That was as far as my thinking got. I didn’t know how to lure a god, unless Nun likes meat as much as Sobek does.

Duamutef started laughing behind us. We turned to him, Horus looking as confused as I felt. “Look at you two,” Duamutef jeered. “You guys are completely hopeless on your own.”

“And you would do better?” Horus taunted.

Duamutef smirked. “Oh, if there is anything I’ve learned the past few years is how to drag cranky, old men out of their houses.”

* * *

It took two hours for us to get all the equipment Duamutef delivered to us setup. We were at the tip of one of the small islands nestled in the Nile. Somehow Duamutef arranged for a small crew to set up an impromptu stage for a private concert. There were huge amps that towered over us, microphones, and a fancy red wood guitar. All this was powered by a single solar panel.

Actually, the solar panel was the one thing we offered to help with. We unplugged it and took it off the boat this morning. We had to call a cab especially to take us plus the equipment. As of now, Horus was sitting directly in front of it. That was basically his job today. As long as he sat in front of the solar panel everything would stay powered. ‘Basic science’ is what he called it.

I did what I could making sure all the wiring worked, though I wasn’t sure how much help I was. The guys knew what to do, while I was unfamiliar with what most of this stuff did. I basically went around seeing what wasn’t working and looked for someone who could figure out how to fix it.

Anubis… he was sitting in the distance watching us. Horus had given him a nasty black eye, which he was keeping hidden under a bandage. He hadn’t really spoken to me since yesterday. I had said good morning to him earlier and he walked past me. Not a word. No eye contact. When we left the boat this morning, Paws ran off ahead and disappeared around a corner. I panicked, running after him but Anubis said behind me. “Let him go. He’ll come back.” Anubis didn’t look at me as he spoke. We left without Paws, who would probably spend the day chasing squirrels instead of gods.

Horus kept assuring me that he was just in a mood and he would bounce back. But he was assuming Anubis’ reaction yesterday was without reason. In truth, I didn’t want to talk to Anubis as much as he didn’t want to talk to me. What could I say to him? He knew. I fell into the river on purpose and he knew. If I could tell him why I would have told him in a heartbeat, but I couldn’t. It was all because of Amun and his stupid secrecy. None of the gods knew he exists. If I started telling everyone about him they would all think I’m crazy. Not to mention I would make an enemy out of Amun. And he was the last person I would want as my enemy.

So I pretended I knew how wiring worked instead. If I pretended I was keeping busy, I wouldn’t have to acknowledge Anubis watching me from the sidelines.

And where was Duamutef, or lead guitarist Donovan Sab, during all of this? He was… in his trailer. He brought a trailer just so he could lounge in luxury while everyone else worked. It wasn’t until everything was ready to start that he made his grand appearance and waved everyone away.

“Alright, alright everybody! Lets get this show on the road!” He shouted rubbing his hands together.

“Oh, wow, Duamutef? You’re here?” Horus said with mock surprise. “I didn’t realize. It’s been so long since we’ve seen you.”

“Laugh it up all you want. Despite what you assume, I was busy warming up my vocals.”

“You’re singing too? Do you take requests? I want to hear you sing ‘Nami Nami.’”

Duamutef’s face was incredulous. “You want me to put Nun to sleep with a lullaby?”

“Sing it,” Horus whined. Duamutef gave him a rude hand gesture and turned to his guitar.

All the equipment worked like a charm as Duamutef started plucking some notes and fixed the tuning on his guitar. As I watched, Anubis appeared. Without warning or a single word, he turned me around and start pushing me from behind, away from the everyone.

“What are you doing?” I protested, but he didn’t stop. We left the shore side, crossed a sidewalk, and came to a hotel that faced the river. He swiftly swung open the glass door, pushed me through, and closed the door behind me. I swung around glaring at him. “What are-”

“Stay,” he said from beyond the glass.

“I’m not Paws. I don’t take commands.”

“Stay,” he repeated and walked back to the riverfront. 

I punched my fist on the glass, but Anubis either didn’t hear or didn’t care. He left me behind. I spun on my heal, my hands curled tight. With no regard to the guests here, I grabbed a wicker chair from the lobby area and swung it around to face the performance that was about to start. 

I threw myself deep into the chair and whispered to myself, “Guess what, Molly? That favorite band of yours; I met the lead guitarist. He held a private show and everything. How close was I? Front and center until this jerk pushed me into a whole other room. I know, asshole, right?” I kicked at the ground, and sighed. “Yeah right, Nakia. Have you looked in a mirror? One to talk…”

As I sank into cushions of guilt, some real music started to play. People in the hotel looked around, curious about the noise. They probably weren’t able to see very well with all the foliage blocking the view. The only reason I could see anything was that I knew where to look. 

Duamutef was rocking it out filling the whole area with the screech of his guitar. I could see his long hair bouncing to the beat as headbanged to the music. He started to sing as well in a deep, raspy voice. I had never heard him sing before, but it wasn’t too bad. Not nearly as good as his band’s main singer, but not bad. Some of my anger dissolved as I watched this once in a lifetime experience.

By the third song I was really into it. I was quietly singing along to “Fighting Superheroes” forgetting why we were here in the first place. But it came. As Duamutef’s finger’s danced across his instrument a column of water rose above them, casting a shadow over everyone. The water took the form of a giant man with flowing hair, a beard, and startling blank eyes. With a boom his voice rang, “CUT THAT RACKET!”

From where I was I couldn’t tell what was happening. There was silence, but a moment later the microphone gave off some feedback, resulting in a loud “NNNNNNNN” sound.

The giant shouted in rage. His entire figure collapsed onto the island’s edge. There was a split second where I saw the others trying to get away before a wave crashed against the windowed wall in front of me. 

“NOOOO!” I screamed. I jumped out of my chair and threw myself out the door. The water quickly receded but I chased after it. The river’s tide left behind ruined equipment, all knocked over in disarray. A solar panel lay face down on the ground. Speakers dripped with water. I guitar stand was half buried in the sand with no guitar.

And there was no one here. No one at all. And I couldn’t remember if there had been anyone here in the first place.

 


End file.
